Less Than A Minute
by nebbyJen
Summary: An explosion in the jumper bay leaves McKay and Zelenka in dire need of being rescued. Teamfic
1. Chapter 1

**Less Than a Minute** by nebbyJen

Summary: It's amazing how everything can change so quickly, and for McKay and Zelenka, it's not for the better. An explosion in the jumper bay leaves them desperately waiting for rescue.

Season/Spoilers: Season 2 / No spoilers.

Rating: Teen

Archived: Jumper Bay, FF, SGAHC

Beta: Thanks to Emergencyfan and Gaffer for their continued help, wit, eagle eyes, and suggestions. Any and all errors are mine if there are any. No matter how many times this is reviewed, one still seems to pop out, but I will catch it eventually.

Author's Notes and Disclaimer: First and foremost, this was written for enjoyment purposes only and no infringement is intended upon the Stargate Atlantis television program or the companies involved in its production. Secondly, this is my first ever truly H/C centered fic and although parts of me wanted to get involved in some in-depth super plot, I successfully avoided it and stayed firm. No weird aliens, no bad guys, no mental trauma…just good old fashioned whumping. (I'm not a large fan of that terminology but no other word fits for this fic!)

Less Than a Minute (Part 1)

Sheppard's team's latest trip off world had been an overwhelming success. They had stumbled across a virtual gold mine of abandoned technology, due to a recent wraith culling that left a mechanized ghost town in their wake. Once the coast was declared clear of any more danger or sneaky darts, the science teams had been allowed through the gate to do a culling of their own, in a less horrific manner. To some it felt as though they were grave robbing, but after Rodney clearly pointed out that it would either be them using the technology, or raiders confiscating it to possibly use against Atlantis in the future, the reluctant scientist's attitude changed. Eventually, the teams had gleaned whatever they considered to be useful, and loaded jumpers returned home late in the evening. Weary from working tirelessly throughout the empty city, most retired to their quarters to rest up for what they knew were going to be days, possibly weeks, of extensive research. Most, that is, except for three individuals who just couldn't resist the challenge and for whom sleep would wait.

SG: A

It wouldn't take another rocket scientist to figure out exactly what was going through McKay's and Zelenka's minds as they both stood back and watched in undisguised contempt while Kavanagh awkwardly carried a cumbersome piece of equipment out of the jumper bay. Neither man offered a hand when their arch nemesis stumbled and almost lost hold of his precious 'find'. And only when the door to the outer hallway finally slid shut, effectively blocking their view of said 'scientist' while catching several strands of limp blonde hair in the process, did the pair dare to look at each other with respective raised brows of disapproval.

"Tell me, how did that moron make it to Atlantis?" Rodney blurted out, no longer able to restrain himself. "He wasted an entire day!"

"Did you see look on his face when he found 'his' machine?" Radek punctuated with air quotes. Taking off his glasses, he huffed warm breath on both lenses before wiping them clean with the bottom of his shirt and slipping them back on. Blinking several times, he glanced about the disarray scattered around the open jumper. "Where would you like to begin?"

"Well, gee, now that Kavanagh took the guts to an air conditioner, I was thinking perhaps I might start with the matrix to the shield generator."

Following Rodney inside the jumper, Radek helped lift an awkward control board, and the two carried it out to the jumper bay floor. "How long do you think it will take him to realize he has cooling unit?"

Setting his end down with an exaggerated wheeze of exertion, Rodney scowled down at his watch, "Morning if we are lucky.

The Czech blinked in surprise, "You intend on working through the night?"

"Do you have other plans?"

"Uh, no. I just thought I might sleep.'

"If you need to toddle off to bed, don't let me stop you." Irritation radiated off Rodney and he turned his back to Zelenka. Hooking power cables from a small generator to the board, he was instantly intrigued at the small hum emitted. When a hand appeared in front of his face holding out the lead clips for the diagnostic computer, he accepted them without comment. Soon he heard a familiar sound of keys tapped on a keyboard and knew the only semi-capable scientist available on the floating science station had decided to join him.

Without looking up, he snapped the leads in place. "What kind of readings are you getting?"

"Give me minute to configure the interface sequence," Radek mumbled under his breath.

Rodney glanced up in annoyance and reached for the laptop, "Give me that."

"To quote American bumper sticker, 'You can have it when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.'"

"Oh, that's mature." Seeing that he wasn't about to gain control of the laptop, Rodney snapped his fingers, impatiently gesturing towards the screen, "At least give me the power intake readings."

More tapping. "Seventy- two percent." Radek studied the display screen and scowled when the numbers slowly began to rise. "Seventy-three, seventy-five, seventy-nine, eighty-two…" With increased worry, he swallowed and shot McKay a concerned glance, "Rodney?"

The scientist ignored him as he ripped the cover off the panel, his eyes scouring every circuit and relay. Half listening to Radek counting out the increased level, he yanked several wires free before glancing up to see if that had stopped the power surge only to spot the Czech scientist slowly backing away from the console. One final option available, he lifted what had to be the motherboard and froze.

"Rodney…" Radek squeaked, his eyes wide as he glanced at what scientist had discovered, before looking to the laptop screen and turning it swiftly to show the Canadian.

92.

94.

"Run!" Rodney shouted, giving Radek a hard shove from across the board before he spun around to get some distance between himself and the equipment, only to trip and fall over a piece of apparatus on the floor behind him. Curling into the fetal position, he covered his head with his hands and held his breath.

A blinding flash and terrific explosion of heat rocked the bay before instantly enveloping it in a cloak of darkness; lit only by the shower of luminescent sparks arced high towards the ceiling, while pieces of blown debris rained down on the exposed scientists in a noisy clatter. Acrid smoke from the burning rubble billowed in great rolls, filling the air with noxious fumes. The sound of heavy doors sliding shut signaled the fire suppression system enclosing the area like a tomb to prevent further spread of the danger, effectively sealing McKay and Zelenka within. Ventilation protocol quickly drew the toxic air out of the bay while a fine mist of spray erupted from the ceiling, successfully dousing the fire in a film of white foam.

It had all happened in less than a minute. Backup lighting flickered on casting an eerie red glow over the now silent devastation. Silence descended, only to be interrupted by the sudden blaring call of the emergency alarm.

SG: A

Sheppard was certain that he'd just laid down and closed his eyes when he felt an unfamiliar tremor through Atlantis. Abruptly sitting back up and tossing his blanket off to the side, he swung his feet to the floor and listened intently. He wasn't disappointed when the obnoxious blare of the emergency siren disrupted the stillness of the night. Grabbing his earpiece, he was in time to hear the control room tech's request for all emergency personnel to the jumper bay.

"This is Sheppard," he called out while yanking on his pants and boots before racing out the door, "What happened?"

An unfamiliar male voice replied, _"Unknown at this time, sir. According to the diagnostic readouts, fire suppression systems have been activated and Atlantis initiated shut down protocol for the jumper bay."_

"Was there anyone in the bay?" he demanded while rounding a corner and running smack into a med team led by Beckett.

"_Unknown at this time, sir,"_ the voice replied.

Sheppard suddenly had a very bad feeling. Knowing the bay was full of new toys that the science teams had been salivating over throughout the day, the whereabouts of Atlantis' chief scientist suddenly became top priority. "McKay, this is Sheppard, come in." Not receiving any answer, he called again more urgently, "Rodney, answer me." Shooting a quick glance to Beckett and seeing the worried Scot shaking his head in dismay when there was still no answer, he ground his teeth in frustration.

The group came to a halt outside the closed doors to the bay and the colonel tentatively reached out to touch them, only to draw his hand back quickly when he encountered the heated surface. "McKay," he paged again, hoping to receive some response and praying it didn't come from inside the jumper bay.

Greeted by silence once more, he looked to those surrounding him before paging the science labs, "Has anyone seen McKay this evening?"

"_I saw him and Dr. Zelenka in thejumper bay_," Kavanagh's nasally voice replied over the earpiece.

"How long ago?"

"_Half hour at the most."_

"Kavanagh, do you know what they were doing?"

"_I have my own projects, Colonel. I don't have time to keep tabs on McKay and Zelenka."_

Dead silence emanated over the communication system as most of the residents of Atlantis held their breath, knowing that Kavanagh might as well be a dead man walking.

Beckett's hand dropped onto Sheppard's arm, tugging him back from the doors as a team of engineers made their way over with equipment to force the doors apart. Using a tool similar to one firemen use to pry cars apart after an accident, they attempted to nudge it between the tightly sealed doors to no avail. Atlantis was determined to keep the bay sealed.

"_Colonel Sheppard,"_ the voice from the control room paged once more, _"we've been able to access one of the surveillance cameras from inside the bay."_

"Can you see anything?" he asked, watching Beckett step closer to hear the answer.

There was a pause. _"No sir, it appears emergency back up lights are on and fire retardant is visible, but there doesn't appear to be any activity."_

"What about life signs, lad?" Carson asked.

"_One moment, sir. We are working on getting the sensors reestablished."_

"Well, hurry up," Sheppard barked.

"_Almost there, sir."_

Several voices could be heard from the control room, including Weir's, before the voice returned. _"We've got it back online, sir." _A moment passed before the voice returned excitedly, _"There are two lifesigns inside the bay!"_

"Yes!" Sheppard blew out in a tight breath. Stepping over to the engineers, he watched them attempt a second try at opening the door. "What's the hold up?"

"Sorry, Colonel, but if I didn't know better, I'd say the doors were fused together," the senior engineer replied.

"Fused, as in heat?"

Another tech nodded, reaching out to touch the panels. "They're cool to the touch now. Possibly the explosion released enough heat to fry the controls or melt the conduits. Either way, these aren't coming apart any time soon."

Sheppard wasn't ready to give up. "What about blowing them open with C-4?"

The senior engineer shook his head 'no'. "There's already been one explosion sir. A possible second detonation might trigger further devices inside the room."

"What about another way in?"

"Already tried them all, sir. They're also sealed. The only other possible way in is through the overhead hull doors."

Carson glanced to Sheppard, "The top of Atlantis?"

"Yes, sir," the junior tech answered for him.

"It's the middle of the night," the Scot exclaimed as it dawned on him what was about to be tried. "How do you plan on making a rescue in the dark?"

Sheppard rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, "We're gonna have to climb. Once we get the overhead bay doors open, we rappel down, load them in a jumper, and then fly them out."

"What if the doors won't open, Colonel?" Beckett asked. "Or if the jumpers are damaged and won't fly? You need me to come along."

That was the last thing Sheppard wanted to do. Shaking his head, he began to try and dissuade the physician, "I don't think…." only to be cut off.

"I'm not asking, Colonel." The tone of the Scot's voice left no room for argument.

"_Colonel Sheppard,"_ Dr. Weir interrupted as she spoke over the system, _"there appears to be movement inside the jumper bay."_

TBC


	2. Part 2

Less Than a Minute (Part 2)

"Somebody, stop that damn ringing," Rodney cursed under his breath before trying a second time to get whatever it was laying across his right lower leg, off. Not having any success and totally clueless as to what caused his current predicament, he scowled ferociously. This was getting old fast. Cautiously, he reached out and patted about the slippery floor before his hand touched something sharp. He withdrew it quickly when a stabbing pain lanced deep into his index finger. Instantly sticking the damaged appendage in his mouth to stop the throbbing, he tasted blood and chemicals. "Ah!" he cried out, spitting the disgusting sensation away, then trying to wipe his tongue on his shirt sleeve only to discover the taste there also.

Swiping his undamaged hand across his eyes, he blinked several times, feeling dampness trickle down his forehead and across his cheeks. "Where the hell am I and why is it so damn dark in here?" he shouted into the emptiness surrounding him. "Sheppard, if you're out there having a good laugh at my expense, when I get out of here I will lace your hair gel with enough toxic chemicals to turn even your spiky haired mess into blonde locks that only Kavanagh could love."

He waited for a response but his threat went unanswered. "Can anybody hear me?" he shouted and then listened, straining his ears for even the slightest sound. "Hello," he shouted again and cocked his head sideways, when he realized that wherever he was had a hollow sound to it along with a slight echo. "Hell-o," he yelled once more. Yes, definitely someplace big. A familiar twinge of panic settled into his chest when the realization that this wasn't some sort of elaborate joke gripped his heart and squeezed slowly. "Oh, god," he whimpered, "Where am I?"

With his sticky hurting pointer finger tucked safely in his armpit, he shifted on his rump and tried to remember what happened. Wherever he was, was dark, and wet, and big, and messy, and sharp, and quiet, and, and, and…the squeeze got a little tighter… alone. His breath hitched at that thought, his eyes tracking his surroundings in hope of spying at least a little light in the darkness and coming up empty.

The sound of something moving behind him caused him to shift on his hip in an attempt at turning around. "Who's there?" he whispered into the darkness. "I can hear you, so speak up," he demanded with false bravado when his first query remained unanswered.

Another noise, the sound of something large slamming against the floor, caused him to jump. "Well, you don't have to get violent. I need a hand here, so whoever you are, can you get your ass over here and get my leg free?"

More silence, and then another voice permeated the darkness. "Rodn'y?" it gasped painfully.

He tipped his head sideways and attempted to identify the voice. It was familiar, slightly accented. Not Scottish. European, definitely European. His scrambled brain clicked with the answer. "Radek?"

"Rodn'y, help me," the Czech struggled to say from somewhere on the other side of the room.

"I'm stuck," he replied, carefully reaching down to reaffirm his tightly pinned limb. "There's something on my leg. Can you make it in this direction?" A painful coughing and then a wheeze came from where he judged Radek to be. "How bad are you hurt?" he called out.

"Can't breathe," came the gasped reply.

"Oh, damn it!" Rodney cursed in frustration at his current limitations. Using his left foot, he placed it against whatever was pinning his right, leaned back on both palms for support, and shoved with all his might. "AH!" he cried out, grinding his teeth together and panting through the pain when he felt the item shift substantially, but not completely off. Clenching his eyes tightly shut and bearing down with determination that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger proud, he pushed with all his might.

Pain seared up the injured tendons in his calf and shin muscles, igniting a firestorm that gripped his entire body until subsiding and leaving him breathless. Flopping bonelessly back onto the wet floor, he reached down with his good hand to inspect the damage. He whimpered when his hand touched torn flesh and something that had to be bone. Breathing through his mouth to quell the rising, pain induced nausea; he slowly rolled over onto his stomach. "Radek," he called out hoarsely.

"Here," the Czech gasped. "You…" he started to say something but began to cough uncontrollably.

"I'm coming," Rodney answered, painfully pulling his arms and undamaged leg up underneath him so that he could crawl and drag himself over to the injured scientist. Cautiously sweeping his hand out in front of himself, he made his agonizing way across the rubble-strewn floor towards the sound of the gasping breaths. Several times his hand intercepted sharp items, or his battered leg was jarred against an unseen object and he had to pause, trying to contain the pain in stifled whimpers. When he finally encountered a piece of material, attached to a body, he tapped slowly until he felt the Czech's face, his other hand resting on the man's chest.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked, trying to carefully check for injuries without causing anymore undue pain. Feeling a sharp intake under his hand, he lifted it quickly. "What, what did I do?"

Radek struggled to catch his breath as he stared into the unseeing eyes glancing back down at him. "Can you see?" he whispered between wheezes, hoping his fear was unfounded.

Rodney shook his head. "Too dark in here. Can't make out a thing." He was startled to feel a hand gently touch his face, and then he jerked back as a sharp pain throbbed against the side of his temple. "What?" he hissed, holding his breath until it subsided.

Radek waved his hand shakily in front of McKay's face and got no response. Judging by the blood freely flowing down the side of the Canadian's temple, he realized that the scientist didn't know how badly he was injured, and that he was blind. "Lights," he whispered.

"I know. Something must have happened to the back ups."

"No, they're on."

The words slowly sank through the fog in Rodney's brain before hitting him in the face like a glass of ice water. "I'm blind?" he squeaked. A hand patted his arm in an attempt at comfort.

"Head inj'ry. Beckett fix."

Rodney's chest heaved in fear while his hands touched his own face, confirming what Radek had told him. "I can't see," he mumbled to himself, lost in his own distress until the sound of harsh breathing broke into his misery. Fumbling, he awkwardly reached down and lifted Radek up to help him breathe easier.

"Th'nks."

"Don't mention it," McKay tried to quip.

"Rodn'y?"

"I said, don't mention it."

"You're bleeding," Radek said quietly, finally able to draw a decent breath.

"Don't worry about me. It's just a scrape."

Radek's mouth fell open as he stared at the torn pant leg, revealing a ragged gaping wound and exposed bone on the man holding him still. Rodney must be in shock. Feeling more confident now that he could breathe a little easier, he attempted to sit on his own only to find himself coughing harshly as pain stabbed him in the chest. Keeping his eyes shut to stop the invading tunnel vision, he clung to the blind scientist for support. "Need first aid kit," he finally panted.

"I don't know where one is."

"In jump'r."

Rodney blinked in confusion and shook his head. "I don't know where one is," he repeated.

"We're in jump'r bay."

Sightless blue eyes turned sharply in his direction. "We're on Atlantis?"

Radek nodded, forgetting momentarily that he couldn't be seen. "Explosion, 'memb'r?"

Rodney licked his lips, tasting the coppery taste of blood. "No… no, I don't." Feeling blindly about, his hand connected with something large on the floor behind them. "Can you lean against this while I find the jumper?"

The thought of moving was not high on his list of things to try at the moment, but Radek knew they needed the emergency kit and fearing his own injuries were actually worse than McKay's, he swallowed, "'kay."

"This is gonna hurt us both so don't think this is any fun for me," Rodney grunted. His teeth were beginning to ache from being so tightly clenched. With as little jostling as possible, he got the Czech propped against the chunk of equipment on the floor. "Which way to the jumper?" he hissed, his throbbing leg and head making his entire body pound with every heartbeat.

SG: A

Sheppard snapped his fingers to the nearest tech in the group with a laptop. "Can you connect with the visual from the control room on that thing?" She instantly nodded, stepping into the room opposite the bay and attaching her system to the room's circuitry. Within seconds, the team was surrounding her, staring at the blurry image on the small screen.

"Oh, dear lord," Carson breathed in horror, watching a figure in the center of the wreckage working to free himself from underneath a large piece of equipment. The individual tipped his head back while shoving in exertion, and they were able to make out Rodney's blood covered face as he silently screamed in agony at pulling his leg free. The group gasped, watching the scientist curl up in pain before dragging himself across the jumper bay floor, banging into pieces of scattered debris like he couldn't see what was in front of him. "He's blind," the Scot whispered, his eyes shooting up to meet Sheppard's shocked expression.

When Rodney began to disappear from the available camera angle, Weir's voice came over the headset, _"We're trying to get another view of the bay but it appears that the majority of the cameras were damaged in the explosion. Colonel, are you having any luck getting the doors open?"_

"That's a negative. We're going to have to go in through the overhead bay doors."

Elizabeth remained quiet for a brief moment before agreeing. _"Gather a team of whomever you need and keep me informed. We'll see what else we can do from this end."_

"Affirmative. Oh, and can you do something about that alarm. It's got to be driving them crazy in there." Seconds later, the blaring siren quieted.

Tearing his eyes from the screen, Sheppard poked the Scot in the arm to get his attention. "Get your gear and meet me at the transporter." Turning to the sergeant standing behind him, he ordered, "I need ropes and gear for six, the best rappelling team we have, and spotlights aimed as close as possible to the top of the outside bay doors." Grabbing the lead engineer, he dragged the man down the hallway with him as he made his way back towards the crew quarters. "We might need cutting devices, high octane torches. Do we have anything small enough that we can carry to the roof?"

"Nothing that can supply a long burn, but we do have a small portable that can be rigged to take with you."

Sheppard smacked the man on the back, "Good. Go get it and meet me at the transporter." Now alone, he allowed himself to think about the images he'd witnessed in the bay. It was a miracle anyone had survived the blast, but he wasn't surprised that the two scientists had. They just needed to hang on a little longer. Stepping into his quarters, he grabbed his offworld fatigues and dressed quickly, pulling on his fully equipped supply vest but leaving his sidearm, grateful it was one thing he didn't need to worry about.

His adrenaline pumping on high, he ran to catch Beckett and the remaining rescue team members at the transporter alcove.

TBC (It's only gonna get better, folks! Now, the next part will be up later tomorrow!)


	3. Part 3

Less Than a Minute (Part 3)

Radek silently thanked the heavens above when the annoying alarm finally quieted. Hopefully that was because someone outside had shut it off and not because it had been cut off. With the dim emergency backup lights still showering the bay in a red glow, he squinted at the blurry image of Rodney slowly making progress towards the back of the open jumper. Several times he'd seen the blinded scientist falter as he crawled across the floor, his hands alternately reaching out to feel for debris, or to halt in mid-swipe when the Czech raggedly called out a direction or warning. It was when McKay apparently misplaced his already injured hand on a loose fragment and it slipped out from under him on the wet surface, sending him jarring painfully to the floor, did Radek understand the depth of the Canadian's pain. Rodney did not get back up. Curled into a tight fetal position with his injured leg drawn close to his chest, the scientist remained still.

"Rodney?"

McKay stayed motionless on the floor.

"Rodney!" Radek snapped using strength he didn't have to spare, "Get up! You're in shock and need to have leg fixed before you bleed to death."

"Need to rest," Rodney answered tiredly.

"No. No. Get up. Jumper very close now."

"You get it," the scientist slurred but already he was attempting to move again. Bringing his hands together under his chest, he pushed up and swayed momentarily before dragging his uninjured knee under him and propping himself up on all three. "How far?" he grunted, mentally praying he was right beside the ship and the first aid kit just happened to be laying on the floor right inside the back.

"Meter. Two at most. You almost there." Radek had to stop to catch his breath, his injured ribs pressing painfully into his lungs. "Straight ahead," he whispered hoarsely, and then cleared his throat to try again, "Put out your hand. You can feel jumper."

Rodney hesitantly felt in front of him. The cool surface of the ship intercepted his fingertips and he sighed in relief. "I made it." Turning to face the Czech's possible position on the floor behind him, Rodney swallowed, "Can you see inside it?"

Radek didn't answer.

"Zel'nka! Wake up!" he snapped and then pressed his injured hand against his forehead to stop the immediate intense pounding. "I dragged my ass over here for you, so you better not be over there taking a nap," he gasped between his clenched teeth while reaching up the edge of the doorway. With agonizing slowness, he pulled himself to stand on his good leg. Even without sight, he could feel the dip and loop of dizziness wash over him and he had to cling to the overhead compartments to stop himself from crashing back to the floor. "Radek!"

"R'ney," the Czech groaned through a bout of harsh coughing.

"Talk to me," McKay said, running his hands over the familiar equipment, searching for the first aid kit. Feeling what might be what he needed, he pulled it free, only to cry out when several other objects came with it and fell to the floor around him. "What happened?"

"Can't see in jumper," Zelenka answered.

"No, not in here." Breathing heavily through his exertion, he gripped the pack and made his way slowly back to the entranceway. "What happened in here?"

"Explosion."

Rodney tipped his head sideways, trying to remember. "What caused it?"

"Booby trap in sensor control board."

"Booby trap?"

"Perhaps self destruct to stop wraith."

"Oh." Taking a deep breath, Rodney started to slide down to the floor but stopped when he heard Radek call to him. "What?"

"Radio?"

"You hear someone?"

"No…we call out."

"Oh." Rodney scratched his head, his hand coming away feeling sticky and he frowned. "I can't think."

"You got hurt. Hit in head," Radek replied sleepily, slowly beginning to tip sideways to lie on the floor.

Rodney fumbled through another bin and successfully located one of the portable radios. Stuffing it in his pocket, he eased himself to the floor. "Zelenka?"

Silence.

"Radek!" His head exploded at his shouting and he clenched his eyes tight, panting through the pain. "This sucks," he whispered to himself. Stretching out his hand to feel the wet floor below the open jumper, he slowly slid on his hands and knee. "Radek, answer me," he called out again.

Not receiving an answer, he stopped and remembered the radio he'd just pocketed. Pulling it out, he switched the power on. "Hello?" he paged.

"_Rodney, this is Elizabeth. Can you hear me?" _Dr. Weir instantly replied.

He was never so happy to hear someone on the other end of the radio, as he was to hear her voice. "Oh, thank god. Radek's hurt," he whispered, his fragile hold on consciousness beginning to slip further.

"_I know, Rodney,"_ she answered. _"So are you."_

"You can see us?" he asked in disbelief.

"_One of the security cameras is still working, and we can see you when you stay outside of the jumper."_

"Oh." He gave a small tired wave to whoever might be watching.

"_Rodney?" _ She paged again.

"Hmm?" he answered but didn't hit the call button.

"_Rodney, stay awake,"_ Weir called again urgently.

He pressed the button, "I'm here."

"_Good. Rodney, Carson needs to talk to you so I'm going to transfer you to his frequency. Okay?"_

He nodded and leaned back against the side of the jumper. He could no longer feel his injured leg and his head felt stuffed with cotton. Licking his lips, he tried not to think about how thirsty he was and how much he'd really like to lie down.

"_Rodney?"_ The worried Scot's voice was unmistakable.

"C'son," he slurred, his eyes no longer able to stay open.

"_Rodney, listen to me, son. You need to put some pressure bandages on your leg. You need to stop the bleeding."_

The scientist's good hand flopped to the floor, feeling clumsily about for the med kit. Pulling open several Velcro enclosures, he recognized the feel of the bandages and shook one free but lost hold of it. Confused at discovering the item suddenly missing, he pressed the switch on the radio, "Carson?"

"_It's okay, Rodney, you just dropped it. Feel down beside your right leg. It's on the floor beside you."_

Cautiously tracing his hand down his leg, he felt the edge of the bandage tie strap and pulled it back to his lap until he felt the actual gauze pad. Commanding his unwilling fingers to cooperate, he reached down to his lower leg and pressed the fabric to where he knew the gash to be. Agony seared up his leg at the movement and he cried out in pain. What little hold he had on his tenuous reality slipped away into nothingness.

SG: A

It was decided that the rescue team would consist of Sheppard, Teyla, Dex, Carson, Maj. Lorne, and Dr. Rick Giles, head of the engineering department. When Sheppard raised a questioning brow to Lorne behind Giles's back, the major quietly whispered that the man had been formerly in charge of MIT's engineering department and had successfully climbed Everest…twice.

"Sounds good enough to me," Sheppard replied under his breath. Securing his climbing harness and then double checking the others, he sighed, "Okay, we know what needs to be done. Doc, what's the latest word on McKay and Zelenka?"

Carson turned the laptop around that a tech had rigged up for him so that they could see the inside of the bay. "Rodney's inside the jumper and Radek is propped up against some sort of debris on the main floor."

"Do we have any sound yet? Can we talk to them?"

The tech shook her head 'no'. "Not at this time, sir. We were able to enhance the interior picture quality, but neither doctor has on their communication device. If they activated a radio, we should be able to receive their transmission if they use the right frequency."

Slipping on his heavy pack, Sheppard blew out a deep breath before looking to Beckett, "What do you think? They gonna make it until we get there?"

Worried blue eyes met his gaze. "Rodney looks like a bloody mess and has got to be in shock by now. He's running on pure adrenaline. And Radek, I can only guess why he isn't moving. He appears to be having trouble breathing, which could mean a punctured lung, broken ribs, or internal injuries. Heaven only knows." Carson glanced back to the screen, "They need medical attention as quickly as possible."

Teyla stepped closer to get a better look at the screen. "Dr. McKay is leaving the jumper."

The group quieted as their teammate crawled back into view. He seemed to be calling out, most likely to Zelenka, before stopping and leaning against the side of the jumper once more. They watched him reach inside his pocket and remove a small object.

"A radio," Sheppard recognized immediately. "Good going, Answer Man."

Moments later Weir's voice came over their headsets, _"Colonel, Rodney is on channel 4."_

Carson stepped forward and took over before Sheppard got a chance, "Elizabeth, patch me through to him."

"_Already done,"_ she replied.

"Rodney?" the physician asked, watching the figure on the screen slump against the jumper while trying to hold onto the radio.

"_C'son?_"

Beckett's eyes never left the screen, the very fiber of his being wanting desperately to be inside the jumper bay helping his friend. "Rodney, listen to me, son," he said slowly, "You need to put some pressure bandages on your leg. You need to stop the bleeding."

They saw the scientist's hand flop to the floor and reach blindly for the med kit, removing several items before shaking loose a bandage. When it slipped from his grasp, he appeared momentarily confused, "_Carson?_"

"It is okay, Rodney," the Scot encouraged gently, "you just dropped it. Feel down beside your right leg. It's on the floor beside you."

Somehow McKay managed to grasp the bandage and place it on his injury before crying out and dropping the radio. When the group witnessed the scientist slump sideways to the floor, they knew time was running out and they had to go now! Grabbing the gear and packing into the transporter, they stopped when a shout from the end of the hallway called for them to wait.

Kavanagh. The scientist was actually running down the hallway towards them before coming to an abrupt halt. Handing over a laptop to Sheppard, he tried to regain his breath.

"What's this for?" Sheppard asked suspiciously.

"Wireless. It should be able to receive the security footage without being hooked directly into Atlantis."

"Should?"

"It will," he huffed, looking indignant before letting it slide. "I didn't have a lot of time to fine tune it."

Sheppard looked down at the piece of equipment and then back to the scientist, "Thank you."

Kavanagh just nodded and stepped back, watching the transporter doors close between them.

Inside the transporter, the group remained silent while Sheppard snapped the system open, bringing up the image of the hanger bay. It appeared the same as when they last saw it moments ago, both men still collapsed on the floor in the same positions. Closing the lid, he turned to Teyla, "You hang onto this."

She slid off her pack and tucked it inside. "That was very kind of Dr. Kavanagh."

"Yeah, he can throw a curve ball every once in awhile."

Ronon watched and listened to the exchange with interest, "What is a curve ball?"

Glancing up at the tall man, Sheppard was prepared to answer when the doors slid open. "How about I tell you later, when this is all over?"

Stepping out into the unfamiliar hallway, they made their way to the balcony service doors and headed outside. The cool night breeze blew across the top of the tall spires, and powerful spotlights from various points located nearby were directed towards their position and above.

"Last call to back out," Sheppard said, looking at each member directly, pausing the longest on Beckett. When the Scot refused to look away, the American smiled, "You keep up the Braveheart routine, doc, and I'm going to have one hell of a story for McKay to nail you with later."

"All I have to say is 'mission exams', colonel."

Sheppard nodded. "Good point." Turning to Dr. Giles, he noticed the man was already studying the layout while attaching several carabineer clips to his belt. "What do you think?"

"It won't be pleasant but it's not that difficult. Let me go first to establish placement and get the lines adjusted, then you can follow." He slipped the heavy duty nylon rope through his harness clasp before tying it off. Handing Ronon the remainder of the line, he clambered up on the railing and gripped the overhead lip before swinging himself up and over. "Don't give me too much slack," he called back down from above.

The remainder of the team stood back along the railing and tried to keep watch as the engineer worked his way up the slippery slope to the peak. Twice along the way he stopped to attach relay clips to various pieces of equipment and once his foot slipped on the condensation causing him to slide backwards several meters before he regained his grip. The group let out a collective sigh of relief when he started climbing once more.

"I so don't need to be seeing this," Carson mumbled under his breath.

Sheppard grinned and slapped the Scot on the back, "If it wasn't for what we needed to do, this would be a helluva a lot of fun, doc."

Several more minutes passed before Giles was totally out of their line of sight but the rope continued to slide through Ronon's strong hands. When it finally stopped moving and then there were two quick tugs, they knew he'd made it to the top.

"_Colonel,"_ his voice spoke calmly through their headsets, _"I'm ready when you are."_

"Copy that. What's the conditions up there?"

"_Windy, damp, helluva a long way down."_ He paused a moment before continuing. "_But it is nice and flat once you reach the top, and I'm standing on the bay doors. I've located what could be an external junction box but I can't open it without some tools. Whoever comes up next needs to bring my kit and a stronger light."_

"I'll go next, sir," Lorne said while taking the needed gear from one of the techs standing inside the hallway. Filling his pack, he slung it over his shoulders and adjusted his climbing gear one final time. Moments later he disappeared up and over the lip, same as Giles.

Carson leaned next to Sheppard, his hand blocking his comm. relay, "He came here on the Daedalus. Isn't he a bit short to be a Marine?"

Sheppard grinned and covered his own relay, "He worked with one of the SG teams under O'Neill's supervision. If the General used him, I'm more than happy to have him here."

"As long as the General didn't ship him out here to get rid of him." Both men chuckled and mouthed 'Kavanagh' to one another at the same time.

"_Colonel, we're ready for whoever's next,"_ the major spoke over the headset.

"Alright, good work, Lorne. Teyla, you ready?" He asked, watching her adjust another line to her harness. When she nodded, he was ready to give her a boost up but she'd already swung herself up and over. Moments later there was another double tug on the line.

Sheppard signaled a large Marine inside the hallway to come out to the balcony to hold the second line secure while slipping the rope through Carson's harness. "Ready?" He asked the Scot, watching the physician's face for any sign of anxiety.

Carson nodded but remained quiet.

"Okay. I'll be right behind you so don't worry." Slipping Giles's original line through his own harness, Sheppard stood by the railing and offered the Scot a hand up. "Remember, don't look down."

Beckett's mouth opened to respond but then snapped shut. With a look of determination that would rival one of McKay's, he climbed up onto the railing and reached for the overhead lip. With a boost from Sheppard he made his way up onto the overhead and waited for the colonel to join him. "What the bloody hell am I doing?" he mumbled to himself.

"Saving Rodney and Zelenka," Sheppard said quietly from behind him. Giving the doctor a pat on the shoulder, he nodded to the top, "Let's go."

TBC

A/N: Part 4 is still under construction. Hopefully it will be up tomorrow. Before you fuss, I need the beta seal of approval first. Thanks!


	4. Part 4

Less Than A Minute (Part 4)

Carson had kept his eyes glued straight forward on the exterior of Atlantis as he'd placed one hand in front of the other, concentrating on the handholds that Sheppard directed he grasp from his position behind him. The one time the Scot did turn his face to the Colonel was when he'd been asked a question. Without thinking, he glanced back only to catch a glimpse of glaring bright light shining in their direction. Momentarily blinded by the strong spotlights aimed towards them, he blinked and looked away only to see for the first time how terrifyingly high they were situated. Atlantis appeared below him like a sparkling diamond in the night. It was then that the realization of the thin coil of rope looped through his harness was the only thing maintaining his precarious position and his entire being froze in heart-stopping fear.

He was certain he would have slipped and plummeted to his untimely death if Sheppard hadn't reached out and grabbed him painfully by the arm. "Oh dear lord," he whispered when his heart returned to normal rhythm

"Eyes back on Atlantis, doc," the American snapped gruffly, his own dark gaze never wavering from the Scot's face until he was certain the medic was back with him. When Carson gave a curt nod and took one final shuddering breath, Sheppard released the other man's arm. "We're almost there. Just a little further," he encouraged. Watching Beckett return his focus to the task at hand, he blew out a silent deep breath of his own and licked his lips before following safely behind. That had been a little too close for his own comfort.

Breaching the top, both men were glad to find Lorne waiting for them with an outstretched hand. His infectious grin and look of admiration aimed in the physician's direction caused Carson to smile in return, before his shaking knees buckled beneath him. Sheppard and the major instantly caught the doctor below the armpits and helped him to sit down near Giles.

The engineer had removed the lid to the exterior junction box. With a screwdriver clenched between his teeth, he was studying the different colored translucent tiles tightly compacted together. "More light," he grunted without looking up at Teyla who was aiming a flashlight in his direction.

Sheppard leaned over Giles's shoulder to get a better look, "What's the problem?"

"Other than the fact that this is more Dr. McKay's specialty than mine, nothing," he answered flatly after handing the tool over to Beckett.

"You do know what you're doing, right?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute. I'm trying to remember the order of the relays."

Sheppard shot a concerned look over the back of the engineer's head to the Scot watching him, but it didn't go unnoticed. "Look, Colonel, McKay may think these things up and know instantly how they are supposed to run, but it's my job to build them or tear them apart. I just need a minute."

"Well, if you need a hand…"

Giles waved a dislodged tile in a shooing motion, his attention firmly fixed on the task before him.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Sheppard quipped, turning in time to see Dex appear up over the edge. "Have a nice climb?" he asked the tall man who actually looked more refreshed now than he did before coming up.

"Felt good. I haven't done anything like that in long time."

"You've climbed tall buildings in the middle of the night before?"

Dex grinned and shrugged, leaving the question unanswered.

Sheppard merely shook his head, now quite sure what he was supposed to think. "We need to talk sometime." Walking cautiously towards the edge of the towering spire they were situated on, he glanced about at Atlantis.

"Beautiful view, isn't it, sir?" Lorne asked from beside him.

"Yeah, just glad it isn't raining." The second the words left his mouth, he smacked himself in the head with disbelief. "I'm sounding like McKay."

The major chuckled as handed over one of the ropes and they pulled together, bringing the small portable cutting torch and tank up to the roof.

"Colonel Sheppard," Giles called from behind them, "I think I've got it."

Helping Lorne carry the equipment, they returned to the edge of the bay doors. The rest of the team was already standing back, watching the engineer as he slipped several tiles in various positions before the surface beneath all of their feet began to rumble and vibrate. A second later the doors slid open.

The six individuals looked down inside the inky darkness lit only by the dim red emergency lights. Far below them they could barely make out the second set of interior doors.

"Okay folks, let's haul up the rest of the gear, because it looks like this is where the real fun begins," Sheppard ordered. When Teyla started back towards the edge to help, he stopped her and nodded towards her pack. "Why don't you and Beckett check on our scientists?"

"Yes, Colonel." She made her way over to where the physician was standing. He was tightly gripping his arms to his chest with his feet set apart, trying not to get knocked over by the stirring wind that was ruffling his hair and jacket. "Doctor Beckett, Colonel Sheppard has asked that we check on Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka."

Instantly the Scot forgot his worry of being blown off the roof and joined her as she removed the portable laptop. Booting up the screen, they watched together as the view inside the jumper bay cast an eerie glow on both of their faces.

SG: A

"_Rodney. Rodney, you need to wake up."_

"_Dr. McKay, this is Elizabeth, I need you to wake up and answer me."_

"_Rodney, John has a team on the roof of the jumper bay. Just hold on a little longer."_

He heard the voice that continually called to him through the thick fog, the familiar voice that beckoned him to move. If only his body would, or rather could, obey. Dragging his left hand across his chest towards his face, he felt himself shaking and his own touch to his face felt cold, although he was certain that he was burning up. "'lizbeth?" he whispered, his voice cracking painfully from dryness.

"_Rodney, I'm here,"_ her tinny voice continued to call over the radio.

He attempted to swallow, but there was nothing in his parched throat to relieve the dry ache and instead found himself painfully coughing, eventually gasping for breath. When the fit passed, he pressed his cheek against the cool floor, letting the temperature soothe his aching head. He was a mess and he knew it. Keeping his eyes closed, he slowly felt about for the radio and discovered it beside his chest. Fumbling with shaking hands, he pressed the call button.

"Help," he whispered.

"_Rodney?"_ The relief in Weir's voice radiated over the exhausted scientist_. "Rodney, John has a team coming down through the roof. You need to hang on a little longer, okay?"_

He gave a slight nod. Lying still on the floor, he tried to collect his thoughts, knowing there was something important he needed to remember. Maybe if he only opened his eyes, he could see where he was, but to his dismay, discovered only darkness. Confused and hurting, he talked to the only person he knew existed at that moment. "'beth," he called out quietly over the radio.

"_I'm here, Rodney,"_ she soothed.

"Wha' hap'ned?"

"_There was an explosion in the jumper bay."_

He let that information sink in and it nudged a memory. "Rad'k?"

"_Dr. Zelenka is in the bay with you,"_ she replied gently.

A frown crossed his features, "Where?"

"_He's on the other side of the room resting. Don't worry; Carson will be there soon to check on both of you."_

"Carson?"

"_He'll be there really soon, Rodney; you just need to hang on. Can you do that for me?"_

He nodded slightly as he let the radio slide to the floor in front of his face.

SG: A

Beckett and Teyla stared at the image on the screen before them. They could barely make out the shapes of both men who appeared not to have moved since they last checked on the scientists. A burst of static erupted over their radios, causing everyone to jump.

"_Carson, this is Elizabeth. Can you read me?"_

He grabbed the radio from his vest, "Aye, what is it?"

"_Carson, Rodney's awake."_

The Scot's eyes shot back to the blurry screen. "Can you patch me through to him?"

"_We're boosting the signal now. It's not set up for this distance so give us a minute."_ More static hissed over the radio as the other members of the team gathered around. _"We're patching you through now,"_ her garbled voice said and then there was silence.

Gripping his radio with white knuckles, Beckett hit the call switch with his thumb. "Rodney, can you hear me, son?" He was greeted with the hiss of more static. Reaching out with his left hand to touch the image of the scientist by the jumper, he pressed the radio again with his right. "Come on, Rodney, I know you can hear me. Say something into the radio."

Again static could be heard before it was interrupted by silence and then an almost unrecognizable voice. _"Carson?"_

Beckett closed his eyes in relief and nodded, "Aye, I'm here. How are you?

There was another long pause before the scientist's voice was heard again. _"Not too well."_ They could hear him cough and draw a ragged breath. _"Radek,"_ he whispered slowly, his words beginning to slur.

"I can see him on the view screen. He's just sleeping right now," Carson said, praying he was right and that the Czech wasn't dead.

"_Howmulngr?" _

Carson scowled and looked to Sheppard for interpretation.

Reaching down and snatching the doc's radio, ignoring his own, Sheppard called back to his friend. "We're on our way, Rodney. You didn't start the party without us, did you?"

"_Shep'rd?" _Rodney's voice sounded slightly more alert.

"Who else do you think would come and rescue your lazy ass in the middle of the night?"

Silence, and then more static.

"_Tired,"_ the voice finally replied, clearly on the losing edge of consciousness.

Signaling to Giles and Dex, the colonel nodded when both men began to rappel down inside the entrance to the jumper bay. "I know you are, Rodney. We're coming."

This time there was no reply.

Shining his high-powered light down towards the two men below, he watched as they made their way over to the wall and removed another cover. A minute passed with little activity before Dex called over his radio.

"Giles says we need the torch to cut our way in."

"Roger that. We'll send it down now." Sheppard motioned to Lorne and they took up the ropes to lower it down. With Carson and Teyla maneuvering the heavy equipment towards the edge of the hole, the two officers anchored themselves for the impending weight before lowering it slowly. Feeling slack on the line, they knew when it finally reached bottom.

"Ready to go down?" Sheppard asked Carson.

The Scot nodded, actually hooking his own gear back onto the rope without assistance.

"Okay. Teyla, you go down with him and then Lorne and I will follow." Watching the two go over, he held Beckett's line, "Nice and slow, doc. It's easier going down than up so you've already done the hard part."

Beckett merely raised a brow before disappearing over the side.

When they'd reached bottom, the remaining two men hooked their harnesses to the lines. Standing on the edge of the hole, they stopped to look up when a splat of rain hit them each in the face.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sheppard fussed in disgust towards the sky.

Another larger drop nailed him above the eye and he wiped it off. Turning to look up at the dark night, he witnessed a brief flash of light in the clouds above. "Perfect," he grumbled. "Let's get down before this thing busts totally loose."

Climbing over the edge, they'd just made it to the bottom when the sky opened up and it began to pour.

TBC


	5. Part 5

Less Than A Minute (Part 5)

Rodney lay curled up on the floor, half listening to the endless chatter over the radio from Weir and the rest of the individuals in the control room. It was comforting to hear their voices, even if he couldn't make out what they were saying to him. The fog surrounding his mind left him able to do little more than breathe, and even that was almost too much to ask.

When something cold began to trickle across his cheek he chose to ignore it, letting the sensation run down his face and spill onto the floor. Eventually, though, it triggered a dormant thought in the back of his mind, and he shifted his aching head slightly to get away from whatever it was that was now spattering across his face. Swiping his good hand languidly in the air above him, he felt the drops hit his fingers before sliding down his palm. It was cold and wet like water.

Opening his mouth, he let the liquid hit his parched tongue and relished the drops that made contact. Something about the situation was not a good thing but for the life of him he couldn't think why. The sound of Elizabeth calling to him urgently from far away dragged him back from his confusion. She kept saying something about rain. It didn't rain in the jumper bay…did it?

Reaching blindly for the forgotten radio, he fumbled with the button. "Rain?" he mumbled.

"_Rodney, listen to me!"_ Weir shouted over the radio, the urgency in her voice demanding to be heard. _"A rescue team is coming to help you from the overhead bay entrance. Can you move?"_

He lay there thinking about her question. Move? Revived slightly by the water hitting him in the face, he licked his lips and painfully cleared his throat. "Why?"

"_It's storming out and Sheppard's team is coming in from above you."_

The spatter from earlier was growing in intensity against his body, now feeling like a steady stream. Her words finally sinking into his weary brain, his unseeing eyes shot open in panic. "Oh, crap," he hissed. Curling up into as tight a ball as he could stand, he tried to hold his breath against the deluge he knew was about to hit him.

Seconds later it slammed against him like a rampaging torrent from the worst waterpark ride he could ever imagine.

SG: A

By the time Sheppard and Lorne reached the bottom of the jumper passageway, the remaining team members had gathered around Giles in an attempt to shield him from the rain as he cut the seal open on the interior doors. The engineer was bent over on his knees, a heavy face guard protecting him from burning sparks that jumped and bit irritably back at him. Swiping his hand over the safety glass, he tried to clear the condensation building up and blocking his view, only to realize it was on the inside of the hood so he tore it off and tossed it to whomever was standing behind him.

That someone happened to be a certain Scottish physician, and he wasn't pleased. "I don't think that's such a good idea to take off, son," Carson commented dryly, watching with new concern as sparks once more began to fly. Giles merely grunted and then continued to ignore them all. Carson looked over to Sheppard for support and received a half hearted shrug in reply.

"We're standing in the rain, in the middle of the night, on a rescue operation, doc. If it helps him go faster, leave him be."

Not the answer the physician was looking for; Carson opened his mouth to reply, only to find himself drowned out by a deafening roll of thunder and blinding flash of lightning from overhead. The rain began to pound down on them all with more urgency, and to their dismay, slowly joined puddle to puddle, soon leaving them standing in several centimeters of water. Tipping his head back to view the storm above them, he was startled to feel someone nudge his shoulder, almost knocking him off balance.

"Doc, you're worse than McKay," Sheppard gibed loudly in an attempt at easing the tension.

"Why's that?"

"You're standing there with your mouth hanging open like a little kid caught in his first downpour. Usually, if he's not bitching about being wet, I'll catch Rodney doing the same thing when we're off world."

Carson smiled briefly at the thought before he caught the colonel's worried gaze, which was once again fixed back on the engineer's progress. Giles had reached the half way point on the doors and was twisting his back in an attempt at relieving a kink before hunkering back down in the water to continue.

As he watched the soaked man work silently, something niggled in the back of Carson's mind. He shone his light towards his own feet, stomping hesitantly in the deepening water. Something wasn't right. Looking to the others, he found Dex watching him curiously. "With this much rain, you'd think it would be getting deeper much faster than what it is," the Scot remarked loud enough to be heard over all the noise from above.

The tall man pointed to the floor where Giles was working, "It's draining through where he's already cut the seal."

Carson blinked in realization at what he'd been told. "You mean to say it's pouring down on them inside?" Receiving a slight nod, he shook his own head in disbelief, "Oh bloody hell. When we get the doors open…"

"It will go down the bay drains," Giles finished the doctor's statement from his position without looking up. "It won't be much longer." Moments later he stood up, stripped off his sodden leather gloves, and let them drop to the floor with a splash. "Knock yourselves out, fellas."

Sheppard and Dex grabbed the long handled pry bars they'd brought with them and began to work the heavy duty iron between the doors. Another burst of lightning overhead had everyone stop and look up.

"Not exactly the smartest thing to be holding onto at the moment," Sheppard remarked as they continued to work the doors apart.

Major Lorne joined his superior and helped to pull the bar back while Ronon worked his on the opposite side. Little by little the doors parted and the swirling dark water around their feet began to rush through the opening. Once they got a gap open large enough to put a foot down through, they all sat down and placed their feet against one door while their hind ends rested on the other. Gripping the cold metal, they all pushed at the same time and forced the doors to open enough to give them access to the bay below.

What they saw in the dim emergency lighting caused them to shake their heads in stunned disbelief. Below them, the bay looked like a war zone. Anyone surviving the explosion would have had to be one lucky son of a bitch. But to survive that and the thundering water would go beyond luck, it would border on a miracle.

SG: A

Sheppard was the first to zip down the line to the floor. Sweeping the beam of his flashlight across the damage, he stepped hesitantly over the debris to the jumper, while keeping an eye out for any other possible explosive devices. Wedged tightly against the back of the ship and pinned beneath pieces of machinery that had actually enabled a shallow pool of water to form around him, was the missing scientist…face down.

Without thinking, he kicked several large pieces out of the way, letting the water slide free out across the floor. Then, throwing caution to the wind, he dropped his flashlight and began tearing away the debris to uncover his friend. Careful of the exposed injuries, he slowly rolled Rodney over and touched his neck, searching for a pulse, only to find there wasn't one.

"Beckett!" he shouted in panic before laying his head on Rodney's still chest, trying to hear or feel any breathing.

"Let me," the Scottish doctor demanded gruffly, pushing Sheppard out of the way. He quickly examined Rodney before turning the scientist's head to the side and then straddled the man's hips. Hands locked together, Beckett used the heel of his bottom hand to press into Rodney's abdomen with a quick upward thrust, forcing water out of the Canadian's lungs. When no more liquid bubbled out, he began CPR.

"Dr. Beckett!" Teyla called out urgently from behind him, "We have found Dr. Zelenka!"

Pausing for just a second, he looked over his shoulder to where he could just make out where she was standing. "Is he breathing?"

She glanced down to Major Lorne and the marine nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Take his vitals for me and I'll be there as soon as I can." Turning his attention back to Rodney, he gave the man another breath, all the while feeling Sheppard's intense gaze boring into his back. Time seemed to stand still as he continued breathing for Rodney until he felt the familiar hitch underneath his palms. The scientist began to cough and gasp for air, his hands fluttering against the floor at his sides as he spit up more water.

"Come on, son, that's it. Nice and slow," Carson encouraged. "Colonel, get me the oxygen unit from the jumper," he demanded, his focus never leaving the Canadian. When Sheppard quickly reappeared carrying the needed equipment, the doctor settled the non-rebreather mask over his friend's face and then adjusted the flow. Color slowly returned to Rodney's gray features and Carson relaxed minutely.

"Doc?" Sheppard spoke quietly for the first time since Carson took over.

"All I can tell you is that he's breathing on his own again. Let's get his leg bandaged up and then you can sit with him for me while I go over and help Radek." Ripping open the first aid kit that the colonel had brought over from the jumper when he'd retrieved the oxygen, Carson pulled out several items, one being a pair of scissors. "Cut his pant leg away for me," he directed, handing the tool to Sheppard before turning his attention back to the IV he was establishing.

"Dr. Beckett," Teyla called again, her voice having a hint of urgency to it. "Dr. Zelenka appears to be having trouble breathing."

"Bloody hell," Carson mumbled, slapping a piece of tape over the line in the back of Rodney's hand. "Ronon," he called over his shoulder to the silent man watching the proceedings around him, "would you hold this IV for me and help the colonel?"

Dex instantly stepped over and took the object from the Scot's hand, gently holding the bag of clear fluids in the air.

Carson handed over several pressure pads to Sheppard, "Clean his leg very gently and then cover it, but not too tightly. If you can cut him out of those wet clothes and wrap him in an a few blankets, that should help start to warm him back up."

Standing up, the doctor hurried over to the other scientist's side and got his first good look at the Czech. Teyla and Lorne had opened his shirt, exposing his chest, and Carson could see ribs lined against the skin as Radek struggled for each breath. Slipping his stethoscope back on, he closed his eyes and listened, hearing a distinct wheeze and rattle in the lungs but not the sound of water.

He tipped Radek's head back and opened his mouth, shining his flashlight inside the Czech's mouth in an attempt to see down his throat. Finding the passageway red and swollen, he grabbed for his med bag and searched through the contents, pulling out an artificial airway. "I need some more oxygen," he said urgently, his face scrunched in concentration as he attempted to slide the apparatus in place.

Radek never moved and for that Carson was extremely grateful, but also worried. Now that his airway was reopened, the Czech should have been able to draw air in easier, but instead he continued to have difficulty. Reaching back into his bag, he withdrew a vial of diphenhydramine and syringe. Loading the needle, he plunged it into the exposed bicep.

"What is wrong?" Teyla dared to ask, her eyes wide watching Beckett at work.

"Exposure to something. He's having an allergic reaction and I need to get the swelling down before his lungs close off for good." Running his hands over Radek's lower chest, the Scot frowned when he felt the grinding shift of broken bone beneath the surface. "Just not your day, is it, son?" he said to the still figure. Quickly setting up another IV, he taped the needle into place.

Setting back on his heels, it dawned on Carson how quiet the room was around him except for the rain continuing to pour in through the open ceiling above them. With a quick glance around, he found the others watching him, waiting for his next order. "What!" he barked. "Do I have to tell you what to do? Open the bloody door!"

Giles and Lorne both jumped and grabbed the equipment, making their way to the sealed door. Within minutes, the cutting torch was back in use.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! I'm thrilled that you like it!

Less Thank A Minute (Part 6)

Cold rain continued to pour in from overhead, keeping Dex and Sheppard soaked to the skin as they huddled over Rodney. The scientist under their care had yet to move, even when the bandage was applied to his gaping leg wound and his clothing was hurriedly cut off, leaving him momentarily exposed to the elements before being wrapped securely in an emergency blanket. It wasn't until Carson felt secure in leaving Radek that he returned to their side bringing one of the litters from the jumper, that they finally received a reprieve. Loading the Canadian carefully, they carried him back inside the small ship, before Beckett instantly headed back out with another litter to retrieve the Czech. Once he had both of his patients safely ensconced within the protective walls of the jumper, the Scot nodded a dismissive gesture to the rest of them, making it clear that they needed to leave the small space. Teyla and Dex complied, each grabbing an emergency towel in an attempt at drying off, before heading over to Giles and Lorne to offer whatever assistance they could, but Sheppard didn't budge.

Stripping off his field vest and soaked jacket, the colonel tossed the items to the floor before grabbing two more towels. Thank goodness they had been included on the ships after Rodney demanded that they become standard offworld supplies: one too many trips in the rain for the scientist made them mandatroy equipment to keep the remaineder of the team sane. Handing the spare to the Scott, he received a grunt of thanks only to be ignored once more.

"How are they?" he finally dared to ask when Beckett stopped bandaging and attaching IVs to the two still figures.

"The best I can give you for now is that they are both stable." Stripping off his own sodden vest and jacket, the doctor shivered briefly as he rubbed his arms, trying to get the purple goosebumps to recede. "There's little more I can do for Rodney, and Radek's finally breathing easier now that the swelling has gone down in his airway."

"What caused that?"

"Reaction, maybe to the fire retardant." Carson shook his head. "I need to get them to my infirmary soon, Colonel."

Sheppard blew out a frustrated breath. "I'll go check on Giles and see how much longer," he said, reluctantly slipping out the back of the jumper.

Reaching the remaining team members, he was surprised to see them not working and Lorne on the radio. "What's going on?"

Teyla gestured to the portable tank attached to the cutting tool, "It is empty. Major Lorne is speaking with the technician on the other side of the doorway to check on their progress."

"…_finished with the perimeter,"_ they heard a voice reply over the radio. "_Which side were you working on before you ran out?"_

"Right hand," Lorne replied, staring at the black scorch marks that marred that side of the entranceway.

"_If you were certain of the debris field on your side, we could attempt to blow the weakened section open with C4. There shouldn't be much of a structural resistance left and with a tight controlled burst, the door should come free."_

Three sets of questioning eyes turned towards Sheppard. In return he glanced at the wreckage strewn about them. "Alright, let's move as much as we can to the other side of the bay," he began, only to stop and stare at Dex in disbelief as the runner reached down and lifted a piece the size of Teyla with the ease of picking up a small child. "Careful," the colonel retorted, "we don't know if anything else in here is rigged to blow."

"_Colonel Sheppard?"_ Weir called over the radio.

"Kinda busy right now, Elizabeth."

"_Colonel, Dr. Biro would like to speak with Dr. Beckett."_

"Oh. Just a second." Snagging Teyla by the arm as she passed by carrying a respectable size of debris, he swapped her for the radio. "Take this over to the doc for me."

She nodded and made her way over to the jumper.

Ronon stopped beside Sheppard, another bulky piece filling his strong arms. "How are the scientists?"

"Beckett has them stable." When the larger man just stared at him, he shrugged and made his way towards the far side of the bay with Dex at his side. Carefully setting his piece of debris down, he opened his hands up in a questioning manner. "I believe that's medical mumbo jumbo for he's done all he can and they are still hanging on."

The answer appeared to satisfy the runner and he walked away to gather more wreckage.

"Colonel Sheppard," Teyla's voice called from across the bay.

Glancing in her direction, he spotted the Athosian standing in the back of the lit jumper, waving him to come. He could make out Carson bent over Rodney, and fearing the worst, began to run.

He would have made his high school track coach proud as he hurtled over debris and pounded up the back of the small ship, only to come to a dead stop when Beckett looked up at him in annoyance before smiling.

"Someone here was asking for you," he said, his gentle brogue warm with emotion.

Glancing down to the figure bundled on the litter; he spotted a hint of blue peering out from heavy lidded eyes.

"Can he see?" Sheppard whispered to Beckett and the Scot shook his head 'no'. Careful of the IV lines running into the Canadian's arms, and avoiding his bandaged hand, the colonel gently gripped the scientist's remaining good hand. "Hey."

Rodney's head tipped slowly in his direction, his sightless eyes tracking to find the source of the voice. "Radek?" he whispered.

"Right beside you. Beckett has him wrapped up and decorated like a Christmas gift."

A hint of a smile passed over Rodney's face before fading into a grimace of pain. His grasp tightened minutely as a spasm clenched his lower leg.

"Doc?" Sheppard snapped in worry.

"I can't give him anything until we're out of here. I don't know enough about his head injury."

Sheppard peered out the back of the jumper and noticed that the entranceway looked remarkably clear of any clutter. "Radio, doc?" he asked, holding out his free hand. Carson instantly handed it over.

"This is Sheppard. What's the status on the door?"

"_Ready when you are, Colonel,"_ an Australian voice replied.

He watched Ronon and Giles carry a larger piece across the dim bay. "Teyla, go find out how much longer." She disappeared out the back of the ship without saying a word.

Feeling a tug on his hand, he looked back down to Rodney, "Almost ready."

"Can't see," Rodney whispered, his voice cracking with restrained emotion.

"Hey, you and I've seen enough of those tough guy movies to know what a knock in the head can do. Give Beckett a chance to work some of his magic and I bet you'll be as good as new before you know it."

"Chi'kn bones 'n tea leaves," was the last things the scientist said before his eyelids closed and he began to drift.

"Come on, McKay, no time for sleeping or you'll miss the grand finale," Sheppard cajoled. The grip on his hand tightened and he smiled, "Good. Stay with me, because this is almost over."

Teyla popped back in the rear of the jumper. "Major Lorne said to tell you 'the coast is clear'."

"Alright. Tell everyone to come back inside the jumper and then I'll let them know we're ready. God forbid, if anything else blows, we should be safe in here." Moments later, the rest of the team joined them and gathered inside the cockpit before they pulled the damaged jumper door closed as far as it would go. "We're ready," he paged over the radio.

"_Ten seconds, Colonel, on my mark. Go,"_ the voice calmly announced.

It all ended with little excitement. The strategically placed devices weakened the door to the point that a well placed shove from a marine's boot knocked the door free and it fell to the floor with a thud. The waiting military personnel, engineers and technicians, and medical staff poured into the bay, awed at the devastation surrounding them and the fact that the scientists had survived.

When the back to the jumper opened, two gurneys were rushed forward and the injured scientists were quickly transferred, before being whisked off to the infirmary.

"Colonel," Beckett called over his shoulder before disappearing out the doorway, "I'll let you know."

The rest of the team stood quietly around Sheppard, the adrenaline rush of the night quickly wearing off. Inundated with questions from the rest of Atlantis, the colonel held up his hand for silence and then gave final instructions to the newcomers before turning the situation over to Lorne and Giles. With Teyla and Ronon at his side, he wearily made his way to the infirmary.

SG: A

Sheppard wasn't surprised to find Dr. Weir waiting for them outside the closed doors of Beckett's lair. It was the two nurses with a supply cart loaded with scrubs, towels, robes, blankets, and food that actually made him smile. Teyla was handed hers first before being escorted back to the showers, while the men enjoyed a hot cup of coffee that soaked down into their chilled bones.

Elizabeth watched them both, her reserved expression filled with pride. "You all did well tonight."

"We'll see."

"John, they're alive. You got them both out."

He slammed his cup back on the cart, sloshing hot coffee across his hand. "Rodney's blind, his leg's a mess, and Radek never regained consciousness. Our two top brains are out of commission. I don't know if either of them is going to be okay!" Storming down the hallway he stopped and rubbed his hand over his mouth and then closed eyes. A small hand on his shoulder caused him to spin around, and he found Teyla dressed in scrubs and a blue robe, holding out a set for him as well as a towel.

"You will feel better after a warm shower and dry clothing, Colonel."

He took the proffered items and quietly nodded thanks. Following Ronon back to the showers, he stripped down in one of the cubicles and let the pounding spray dig into his weary body. Exhaustion and worry dragged at him and he leaned his head against the wall.

"Sheppard," Dex called from outside the cubicle. "Do you need me to get you some assistance?"

Jerking up straight, he almost slipped on the wet floor. He hadn't realized the water was beginning to cool. "No. I'm almost finished. Why don't you go out and wait with Teyla?" He heard a grunt from the other side of the curtain and figured the man had left.

Now alone, Sheppard turned the spray hotter and let it pound on his back a moment before shutting the water off. Quickly toweling dry, he pulled on the scrubs and robe before stepping out of the stall, only to find Ronon leaning against the wall waiting for him.

"Didn't want you to drown," the runner said quietly before making his way out the door.

Running his fingers through his unruly hair, Sheppard followed close behind.

SG: A

Chairs had appeared in the hallway while he'd been in the shower and Sheppard sank gratefully into one beside a dozing Teyla. Yawning, he tipped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "Any news?" he asked to no one in particular.

The weight of a blanket being draped over him caused him to open one eye and he spotted Elizabeth standing in front of him.

"No. Before you got here, Carson told me it could be awhile."

He let his eye close once more and then felt a weight press against his shoulder. Glancing to his side, he allowed himself a small smile when he discovered Teyla had slid sideways in her seat, wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep against his shoulder. He glanced up to Weir, and she raised one brow and smiled.

"She has the right idea, Colonel. You need to rest." Turning to face the silent giant standing behind her, she nodded to Dex, "You, too."

"I'm not tired," he replied.

"You've had a long night. Sit down and put your feet up." When he didn't move, she stood firmly in front of him, "Do I need to make it an order?"

Dex looked down at the small woman and raised a brow of his own.

"Don't get her dander up," Sheppard said quietly, not wanting to wake Teyla, "She'll win almost every time."

Weir shot him a dirty look and he gave her a quirky grin before lifting the extra blanket off the empty seat on his other side and winked at Dex. "Bring me a sandwich on your way over."

Ronon shook his head and plopped down in the seat, handing Sheppard half a sandwich while he ate the other. With the blanket spread on his lap and Dr. Weir looking satisfied at the three of them, he sank lower in his seat and waited.

Time seemed to stand still until the doors finally opened to reveal one tired but smiling Scottish physician.

TBC


	7. Part 7

Less Than A Minute (Part 7)

"They're gonna be okay." Whatever else Beckett said fell upon deaf ears as Sheppard stared past the physician, trying to catch a glimpse of the scientists in room behind the Scot before the door closed. He didn't know when his blanket fell to the floor and he stood up with every intention of seeing for himself that the words were true, but the hand pressed to the center of his chest, abruptly stopping him, snapped his tired brain back to the present.

"Doc, I just wanna…" Sheppard paused, when Carson shook his head.

"They need to rest, son." Letting his hand drop, he scrubbed his face wearily with both hands. "We all do."

"But," Sheppard tried again, not willing to give up without a fight.

Carson stood his ground in the doorway. "They need to _rest_," he said again, emphasizing the word 'rest'. Seeing the disappointment on all the faces surrounding him, he sighed. "Give them until morning at the very earliest. By then, the sedatives should be wearing off and they should be sleeping on their own."

"Sedatives?"

"Colonel, how else would you expect Rodney's leg to be sutured or Radek's ribs to be set?"

"I thought with a head injury, Rodney was supposed to stay awake. And what about his sight?"

Shifting uncomfortably on feet that had been standing far too long, Beckett glanced over his own shoulder to the closed door behind him. "At the moment, there isn't much I can tell you. Think of your eyes as olives in a martini. Give the drink a good shake and they bang against the inside of the glass, twisting and pinching the connective nerves and tissue. There's gonna be damage. To what extent, we can only tell once Rodney regains consciousness and can answer some questions. We also need to run some more tests."

Stunned silence fell on the group and the physician took pity upon them, seeing their stricken faces. Relenting, and against his own better judgment, he sighed, "You can take a quick look inside, but then I must insist that you all leave and go to bed. Be quiet, don't touch anything, and remember they've been through a traumatic incident."

They each nodded in agreement before silently following Beckett into the room. The sight that greeted them stopped them in their tracks.

Radek was situated closest to the door. Propped up at a 45 degree angle, his lower chest was swathed in bandages and he was covered with numerous cuts and bruises. A nasal cannula fed oxygen to his weakened lungs and there was an IV with several bags of liquids attached to his left arm. His face appeared drawn with fine lines of pain pinched in the corner of his eyes even as he slept. The steady blip of the heart monitor filled the silence.

It was his wrapped hands that Sheppard pointed to, shooting Beckett a concerned gaze but not saying a word.

The physician held his hands up in front of his head with his face turned away, palms placed outward. "They were burned and cut protecting himself from the explosion." When Elizabeth's own hand flew up to cover her mouth, effectively muffling an outcry of sympathy for the Czech, Carson smiled at her sadly, "He will be fine, lass, they both will be. It's a miracle that neither of them has anything more severe than small patches of first and second degree burns."

Stepping over to the second bed, Carson tugged the curtain back to reveal Rodney propped up in a similar manner to Radek, also connected to familiar and unfamiliar medical paraphernalia. But instead of a wrapped chest, he was dressed in scrubs with a blanket pulled up to his chin. It was his right leg sticking out, propped on a pillow, and swathed in white bandages with a faint hint of pink seeping through, which caused some to pause. But for others, it was the bandages wrapped around his head, effectively covering the brilliant blue eyes, which left them speechless.

Sheppard stepped over beside the bed and studied his wounded friend before looking back to Radek. Not able to stop himself, he gave the Czech a light reassuring squeeze to the arm before he turned back to Rodney. Taking the unbandaged hand in his own, he leaned over and whispered to the sleeping scientist, "You both made it." At a loss for any further words, he stood staring at where he knew McKay's eyes should be underneath the bandages, until a gentle hand on his arm gave a slight tug.

"John," Elizabeth whispered, her own voice cracking with pent up emotion, "we need to let them rest."

He nodded slowly, carefully setting Rodney's hand back on the mattress. He allowed her to pull him towards the doorway before he stopped to look back. Carson remained at their bedsides watching him.

"I'll page you instantly if there is any change," he said quietly.

Sheppard nodded again before stepping into the hallway, making his way over to one of the empty chairs. But before he could sit, Weir grabbed him by the arm and turned him around.

"Ronon, can you see to it that the Colonel gets back to his room?" she said to the large man standing behind her.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Elizabeth, I don't need…" Sheppard began in protest, only to stop when she raised a brow.

"I'll meet you all for breakfast at 0800." When he started to balk, she held up her hand to stop him. "That's in four hours, not nearly enough time for a proper rest but if I know you, that's the best I can hope for. Once we're done, we'll come back down and see if there's been any change."

"Fine." Without further comment, he turned and stalked down the corridor, his robe billowing out behind him like a superheroes' cape.

Elizabeth caught Ronon by the arm. "No drinking, no hitting things in the gym, and no football dvds. Make sure he gets to his quarters."

Dex looked down at her hand and she let go. "Not a problem."

"Good." Once he disappeared down the hallway after Sheppard, she turned to the woman standing silently at her side. "I don't know about you, but I'm bushed."

"It has been a long day."

Walking side by side down the hallway, Elizabeth paused, "Care to join me for a snack in the dining hall?"

"I thought you," Teyla started but then smiled. "This would be for 'comfort food'?"

"Exactly."

"Then, yes, I shall join you." They walked in silence before she continued. "Should we have not invited the others?"

Elizabeth smiled, "Do you honestly believe those two are going to rest?"

SG: A

Breakfast came soon enough and the four met around a table, each carrying sparsely covered trays of fruit and mugs of coffee. Only Ronon's tray was piled high with various meats, eggs, and toast.

"Not hungry?" Sheppard quipped to the women while watching Teyla cut off a small bite of a cantaloupe, toying with it on the end of her fork.

Elizabeth merely shrugged, sipping her coffee, relishing every drop of caffeine as it went down.

"Dr. Weir," a young attendant spoke from behind the group. When she turned to face him, he held out her jacket, "You left this here earlier, Ma'am."

"Thank you." Draping it across her lap, she turned back to see Sheppard's teasing smile aimed in her direction.

"Let me guess, comfort food?"

When neither she nor Teyla answered, he nudged Dex. "What's with women and food?"

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you," Weir cut in, not giving the Setedian a chance to reply. "I know for a fact, due to the complaint form submitted on my desk this morning, that the two of you, as well as several of the marines on duty last night, had a 'scrimmage' in the hallway outside of certain crew quarters."

Without saying a word, Ronon pulled a small hidden knife from his vest and placed it on Sheppard's tray, before stomping out of the room in disgust.

Seeing Weir's puzzled face, the colonel smiled, "He didn't think a certain individual would dare to complain against him. I bet him differently." Tucking the sheathed knife in his belt, he stood up, "Ready?"

The trio soon followed Dex towards the infirmary.

SG: A

They were met at the door by one of Carson's assistants, who guided them over to the Scot's office. "Dr. Beckett will back momentarily. He asked that if you arrived while he was out, that you wait here until he returned." Moments later, freshly showered and carrying a bagel, he breezed into his office.

"Good morning," he said between mouthfuls and a swallow of coffee. Giving them each a speculative eye, he shook his head in disgust. "Did any of you get any sleep?"

There were several throat clearings but no one answered his question.

He shook his head like a disappointed parent, "You all should know better. But, since you don't care to listen to me in regards to taking care of yourselves, I'll save my lecture for later." Pulling out his chair, he sat down and tipped back in his seat. "Are you going to sit down or am I gonna get a bloody crick in my neck staring up at the rest of you?"

Sheppard dropped his hip to the edge of the desk, the women took seats opposite Carson, and Dex remained in the doorway.

"Okay. First off, they both are resting as comfortably as can be expected. Radek did awaken earlier for a brief moment but Rodney is still sleeping."

"When can we see them?"

Carson frowned at Sheppard's question but he had been expecting it. "I'll let you in, one at a time, but," his words were left hanging in empty air when the colonel slipped off his desk and made for the open doorway. "Don't wake them," he called out only to receive a waved hand in the air before the man disappeared behind the curtained off area of the infirmary.

Looking at the three remaining individuals in his office, he shrugged, "I'm surprised he lasted that long."

SG: A

Rodney couldn't remember why he was there, but the uncomfortable mattress beneath him, the general feeling of being doped to the gills, and the underlying throb of pain throughout 99.9 percent of his body left little doubt that he was most definitely in the infirmary. Lying perfectly still so that his body wouldn't incite a riot of disapproval against possible pain-causing movement, he heard voices quietly talking nearby. The longer he listened though, the more he realized it was one single voice.

"…_So there's Dex with the ball, plowing down some of the finest the Daedalus left behind on its last trip. Next thing, I know he's turned around and heading directly towards me. And well, you and I both know, getting creamed by Andre the Giant's little brother; and I do use that term 'little' loosely; is causing my life to flash before my eyes. I mean, I swear, McKay, on all the power bars you've stashed throughout Atlantis, I felt mortality. So, I did the only thing I could. You're gonna love this. You ready? I thought the lock off Kavanaugh's door and made it open behind me before taking a quick step a side." _

There's a pause and quiet laughter.

"_Next thing I know, Dex barrels past me, and then there's a yell worthy of any Jason movie I might have ever seen emanating from within the room, before Dr. K flies past me…"_

More laughter.

"…_naked as a jaybird. I'm still not sure which one of them let out the yell. You have never seen a detachment of Marines move that fast, in your entire life, as they did this morning to get out of the way."_

Sheppard. A quirk of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before Rodney could stop it. Ready to abandon the dark, cotton stuffed world, he turned slightly towards the colonel, and gathering what little strength he could muster, attempted to peel his eyes open. But nothing happened.

He could feel his eyes moving behind his heavy lids. Maybe he only thought he'd tried. Putting a little more effort into it, he could actually feel something pull against his lids, keeping them closed. Frustrated and not understanding why his eyes wouldn't open, he lifted both hands to his face, only to feel someone capture his arms and gently pin them back to the bed.

His heartbeat picking up in rhythm, he could hear the increase on the monitor beside him and he focused on that sound. Everything else began to fade around him. Sheppard no longer existed. The steadily rising roar of rushing blood filled his ears and frightened gasps of air gripped his chest.

His world was now spiraling out of control and he could feel himself tunneling towards oblivion. Ready to let go and slip back into the quiet, pain free existence from earlier, he was startled to feel the hand on his arm let go and then grip his hand tightly. The voice piercing the fog was calling to him to not let go.

He didn't want to go. He really didn't. So he flexed one finger and then another into the grip holding him. Little by little the roar quieted, his breathing got easier, and then he finally recognized Sheppard and Beckett talking to him.

"Come on, McKay. Just a little more," Sheppard encouraged from somewhere close by.

"That's it son, nice and slow."

And that, he thought, would have to be Carson.

With one monumental and exhausting push, he breached the fog. "Wha' hap'ned?" he croaked.

TBC


	8. Part 8

Less Than A Minute (Part 8)

Situated on an uncomfortable chair between the two scientist's beds, Sheppard kept a watchful vigil on both men, waiting for any possible sign that one or both might be waking soon. But when neither even twitched within the first hour, he began to grow antsy.

Standing to stretch, he strolled through the rest of the empty infirmary, picking up and examining an odd piece of equipment here or turning on and then off a monitor there. It was when he slipped on the automatic blood pressure cuff and it inflated, that Carson made an appearance and caught him. Quickly replacing the item, once it released him, he sheepishly returned to his seat.

The physician glanced at the readout displayed for Sheppard's blood pressure before allowing himself a brief smile. "Anything else you might like to try out while you're here?" he teased lightly, watching the American's eyes flicker momentarily in fear before giving a smile of his own

"Sorry, I kind of…" Sheppard waved his hand between the two sleeping men and shrugged.

"Why don't you talk to them?"

"I thought that was done to coma patients."

Carson took notes on his datapad of Radek's readouts. "A brain at rest in any state can still listen."

"Oh. What should I talk about?"

Stepping over to Rodney's bedside, Carson raised a surprised brow. "What would you usually talk about?"

Sheppard scratched his head. "Missions, his experiments, Kavanaugh's latest fubar."

"Fubar?"

"Yeah. It's military jargon for…"

Carson stared at him expectantly, knowing full well what 'fubar' meant but waiting to see what the colonel might say.

"Uh, fouled up beyond all reason."

"Oh, is that it?"

"Yeah," Sheppard replied, looking slightly relieved.

Carson chuckled to himself, but soon returned to doctor mode when he peeled open the dressing on Rodney's leg, exposing the nasty looking wound. Gently pressing points around the injury, he watched in satisfaction as the pink color returned. "Blood flow is back to normal," he said out loud.

"What do you mean back to normal?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Colonel. Rodney's body has taken care of the situation."

"Too bad it hasn't taken care of his sight."

Carson's frown returned. "We don't know that, yet. Give him time."

"How much time? How long before you might know something?"

Wrapping fresh bandages around Rodney's leg, Carson glanced up to meet Sheppard's concerned gaze. "I don't know. Two weeks? Six months? Two years? Possibly never." He watched his words sink in and the disappointment they created. "I just don't know," he repeated quietly.

Silence hung heavy in the air as Sheppard sat and watched Beckett unwrap the bandages from around McKay's head, uncovering the unseeing eyes. The exposed gash looked raw and ugly. It ran from his temple into his recently shaved hairline, and the black stitches in a neat row gave it a Frankenstein effect. Another thing Rodney had to look forward to, although if he couldn't see, it might not be so bad. The American snorted to himself. Right, who was he trying to kid?

Carson glanced up at the sound before focusing his attention back on the Canadian. Lifting each eyelid, he shone his small penlight back and forth in each eye, watching closely for any reaction. When the pupils remained inactive, he sighed and replaced the bandages.

"Doc?"

"It's too soon to expect anything." Dropping the remainder of the roll of gauze into his smock pocket, he folded his arms across his chest and stood contemplating his patient. "He should be waking up soon. Talk to him," he encouraged before returning to his office, allowing the colonel some privacy so that he might feel more comfortable.

Sheppard chewed his lower lip before tipping back on his chair. "Did I tell you about Carson climbing up on the roof of Atlantis to save your whiney hide? I wish you could have seen it." And so he continued for the next hour, telling one story after another about the late evening/early morning adventure.

It was when he was describing the football game outside of the crew quarters that he noticed McKay twitch. Not much, just a tightening of the facial muscles around the uncommonly quiet mouth. Continuing his tale, Sheppard made his way to the foot of the bed and tossed a perfectly aimed roll of gauze into Beckett's office, nailing the physician on the top of his head. When the Scot looked up in surprise, the American eagerly waved him to come back.

Both men stood on opposite sides of the bed watching the scientist's slight head and hand movement, signaling his gradual awakening. It was when the heart monitor began to indicate the increased rhythm and Rodney's facial expression tightened in distress that they knew something was wrong. McKay suddenly reached up towards his face but his movements were intercepted as the two men each caught an arm and held him carefully to the bed, trying to soothe the agitated scientist with encouraging words.

Seeing that they were having little effect, Sheppard let go of the struggling arm and grasped Rodney's hand in a firm grip instead. Leaning forward he encouraged gruffly, in his authoritative offworld voice, "Come on, McKay. Just a little bit more."

That seemed to do the trick and the struggles slowly reduced as Rodney relaxed. "Wha' hap'ned?" he croaked.

Sheppard's face filled with a full-blown smile that he saw reflected on Beckett's own, when the two men glanced up at one another in relief. Turning his attention back to the Canadian, while Carson checked his readings and then retrieved a cup of ice chips, the colonel patted his friend's hand.

"You had an accident."

Rodney's brow furrowed in concentration. "I did?" His voice sounded dry and scratchy.

Before Sheppard had the chance to continue, Carson stopped him. "Let's see what he remembers first, son, before we tell him what happened," he said quietly while spooning a piece of ice into the scientist's mouth.

Rodney remained almost perfectly still, his only visible movement being his jaw as his tongue slid the ice over his parched lips and teeth. His grip was still firmly ensconced in the colonel's, not showing any signs of wanting to let go.

"Rodney?" Carson spoke, knowing he had the man's attention when the head on the pillow shifted slightly in his direction. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible." He lifted his wrapped hand towards the physician and Carson carefully caught it.

"What do you need, son?"

"What happened? Why am I here?" He tugged his hand free of Sheppard's and reached to feel his face. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

Beckett shot the colonel a nod to intercept the searching hand.

"Stop that or you'll mess up the doc's handiwork."

Rodney's head tipped back towards Sheppard. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong with my eyes?" The blip on the heart monitor began to speed up.

"Hey, calm down. He can't tell you anything until you can tell him what you remember. Think, McKay, what's the last thing you remember?"

Rodney pulled his other hand free from Beckett and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Wincing when his leg slipped from the pillow, he swatted away at the hand that suddenly touched him in an attempt to help. "What does it matter what I remember? I don't remember anything!" His face scrunched in irritation, he banged his head back on the pillow only to instantly grimace at the pain flooding through his skull. "Ohh…" he groaned, clenching his teeth together to fight it.

"That'll teach you to get uppity," Beckett scolded. "Now settle down before I sedate you back into oblivion."

"I don't remember," the scientist whispered, pressing his head back into the pillow behind him. Folding his arm across his chest, he began to shut himself down from the others.

"Doc?" Sheppard hissed, pointing to the scientist and then gesturing for the physician to do something.

Beckett's hand flew up in the 'What!' position. Scowling, he closed his eyes a moment before opening them and looking slightly calmer. "Rodney, I want to help you, you daft bugger. Do you remember anything from yesterday morning? Breakfast perhaps? You were telling us about some particle inhibitor…thing."

The scientist remained quiet.

"Come on, McKay," Sheppard teased, "you swiped the Doc's donut on the way out. Any of this ringing a bell?"

"No. Yes." He rested his hand against his forehead and the other two could just imagine his expressive eyes shifting behind the bandages in an effort to find the answer. The monitor began to increase once again.

"McKay, talk to me. What do you remember?"

"Booby trap."

"Where?"

Rodney turned to Sheppard, what little color in his face was draining rapidly. "Radek said 'booby trap'." His head snapped back in Carson's direction, "You said he was sleeping. Where is he?" By now the monitor was showing a serious increase and Sheppard knew the scientist really needed to settle down.

"Rodney, he's resting right beside you."

"He couldn't breathe. I tried to help him sit up and he told me to get the med kit. He stopped talking." Leaning sideways on his bed, he tried to get to Zelenka before Sheppard pinned him back to the mattress.

"Rodney, calm down," he snapped, watching Carson take a syringe from the bedside table and inject something into the IV port. "He's fine. Busted a couple of ribs and had a little allergic reaction, but other than that he's sleeping like a baby."

The scientist suddenly grew quiet and the fight drained out of him. "What am I going to do?" he whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Rodney's head tipped back towards the American. "In case you haven't noticed, Colonel, Atlantis isn't exactly equipped for a blind man. Last time I checked there wasn't any Braille on their technology."

"Rodney, we don't know that it is permanent," Carson interrupted. "You were in the radius of an explosion and then somehow you received a serious blow to the head, most likely caused by the blast. You could be suffering from concussion blindness or optical trauma due to swelling. It's gonna take some time, son, until we know for sure."

"How long?"

"How long until what?"

"How long until you know? How long until I might get my sight back?"

"I don't know," Carson answered truthfully.

Rodney chewed his lower lip in contemplation, his face an unreadable mask. "Get out."

"McKay," Sheppard reached down and tried to get hold of the scientist's hand, but he pulled away.

"I said get out. Both of you. I want to be left alone."

"Rodney," Carson tried, only to be met with defiance as the Canadian turned his way, his jaw prominently pointed in the Scot's direction. The gesture had little effect, though, as the physician watched the sedative kick in. Soon, sleep washed over the hurting figure before them.

"Well, that went well," Sheppard said, suddenly feeling very tired himself.

"He is afraid." The quiet voice was so unexpected that came from behind them that Sheppard and Beckett both spun around to stare at Zelenka, in disbelief.

The Czech looked tired and drawn resting back against his pillow, but his pale blue eyes watched them both closely. "He is scientist who can not see." His gaze shifted to Sheppard, "Can he still be Answer Man? Can he still save Atlantis, when nobody else can, if he is blind? Or does he get sent back, useless and discarded, no longer needed?"

"We wouldn't send him back," Sheppard snapped defensively. "He still knows this place better than anyone, with what's tucked away in his brain."

"You don't know that, Colonel. This is military operation. Scientists come second."

Sheppard knew Zelenka was right. Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed, turning to watch Beckett put McKay's leg back on the pillow and adjust the IV lines. "How's he doing?"

"He'll sleep for the next few hours. Something I highly recommend you do in your own quarters." Finished with Rodney, Carson made his way to Radek's side. "How are you feeling, son?"

The Czech yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Tired. Thirsty."

Carson reached back to the bedside table and removed a glass of water. Slipping a straw into the liquid, he held it out while Radek took a small drink to quench his thirst. When the man closed his eyes and leaned back, the Scot returned the cup to the tray. "Better?"

"Yes," Radek replied sleepily.

"Are you in much pain?"

The Czech's head slowly rocked back and forth.

"Zelenka?"

Radek peeled one eye open to look at Sheppard.

"Rodney said you found a booby trap."

"Yes, in console. A self destruct mechanism that was set for Wraith, but …" His words faded when his eye slid shut in sleep.

"That's your cue, Colonel. They need to rest and so do you." Carson snorted and stretched his back, before scratching his head. "So do I."

"You kicking me out?"

Carson nodded, watching Dr. Biro enter the infirmary carrying a half eaten sandwich and a mug of coffee. "Let me finish up here and then I'll walk back with you. This will take just a minute."

The two physicians headed back to Carson's office leaving Sheppard alone with the sleeping scientists.

"Nobody's getting sent back on my watch, I don't care what anyone has to say," he said quietly, more to reassure himself than anyone else. Giving Radek and then Rodney a pat on the shoulder, he met up with Beckett to head out. He knew he'd be back later to check on his friends.

TBC


	9. Part 9

Less Than A Minute (Part 9)

Rodney lost all track of time, not that he really cared about it anyway. Visitors came and went, doctors poked and prodded, and the unending relentless streams of questions asked of him never stopped. He gave one-word answers or remained silent, ignoring everything else around him. He was just waiting for the Daedalus to return and then take him back. He was done. Finished. Useless. His leg was a mess and throbbed unmercifully. He could only imagine the hours of brutal physical therapy in his near future. Ha, there's a thought he snarled to himself. Future? What future? A blind crippled scientist was of no use to anyone. They'd never allow him to go off world again. Never let him hold ancient technology. Never…just never. He released the deeply pent up sigh that continually filled his chest. He was so damn alone in this one. There was no magic cure waiting around the next corner. What was he going to do? He released another sigh.

"Rodney?"

He recognized Radek's voice instantly but chose to ignore him.

There was a slow shuffling noise off to his side and then the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. He felt the slight draft created by someone moving nearby and without realizing it, turned instinctively in that direction.

"I know you are awake, Rodney." Radek spoke quietly. "You can not stay still even in sleep and if you keep sighing, you will use up all oxygen in room very soon."

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" McKay snapped before he could stop himself.

"Why do you care if I'm in bed or not?"

"What gave you the idea that I cared? I just don't want to have to listen to Beckett bitch about you messing up his handiwork, and somehow blaming me."

Cautiously reaching out, the Czech laid his hand on the Canadian's arm and gave him a small pat. "If you didn't care, you wouldn't have shoved me away from explosion, or helped me to breathe, or got radio and called for help."

"That was different."

"How?"

Rodney shifted away so that Radek's hand fell from his arm. "It just was."

"Not good enough answer. You tell me why now it is different," Radek demanded, trying to get his friend to show some emotion.

"Because then I didn't…" he stopped and sighed deeply once more.

"Didn't what?" When he didn't receive an answer, he pressed forward. "Didn't know that you were blind? I knew you were blind and still asked for your help."

Rodney's jaw worked back and forth and he turned his head away from the Czech.

"How long will you play this game?"

The wrapped head snapped back in Radek's direction and he could only imagine the piercing blue eyes shooting daggers at him from behind the bandages.

"How long? How long? Well, gee, there's an interesting question. Since I don't even know how long I've been here wrapped up like some escapee from one of Jackson's pyramids, drugged off my ass for days on end, not given straight answers, I don't know how long!"

"Three days," came the quiet answer.

"What?" Rodney huffed.

"Three days since explosion."

It was like the wind suddenly left his sails and he deflated back against his pillow. Three days. He'd been a blind man for three days. Atlantis was still running smoothly without him. That alone made him realize how useless he was.

"I need to get fresh air."

"What?"

"I'm going for walk." Watching Rodney scowl in his direction, Radek allowed himself a small smile. Patting the blind man's arm, he slowly stood up and began to shuffle away.

"You can't go for a walk," the Canadian said in disbelief.

"Like I asked earlier, why do you care?"

"You've got broken ribs. And what about your lungs? For Pete's sake, if Beckett catches you, you'll find yourself packed up on the Daedalus right along beside me."

There was the sound of more shuffling going away from his bed. "Radek? Don't be stupid." The sound stopped and Rodney could only imagine the Czech turning to face him.

"It is middle of night. The nurse is back in dispensary putting away inventory."

"How do you know she won't be back soon?"

"She will return in 30 minutes for next vital check."

Rodney listened to the slow hobble as it continued across the room. "You can't go by yourself."

The noise stopped again. "I'm tired of…" Radek's words halted and Rodney heard the scientist quietly groan.

Pushing himself to sit up straight, he had to wait until the sense of vertigo stopped before shifting sideways on his bed. His leg began to throb harder but he chose to ignore it. "If you're going on this stupid walk of yours, take me with you. I know that sheepherder has a wheelchair parked around here someplace. Just give me directions and I'll hobble on over and get it."

Radek glanced about the darkened room before spotting the needed item in the corner. "It is over by office. I will get it."

"No," Rodney snapped. Grateful to have the dreaded IVs gone, he slowly slipped off the bed and landed on his good leg. "I'll get it." Reaching out, he leaned forward and cautiously stretched towards the empty mattress he knew Radek had just left. When his fingertips brushed the rumpled blanket, he hopped forward and then rested against the bed. Breathing heavily, he then continued towards the next until he found himself stopped by a wall.

Radek's eyes never left the slow moving scientist and he was ready to call for help the second Rodney might fall. When said scientist actually made it to the doorway, the Czech allowed himself to smile in satisfaction, seeing Rodney do the same. "It is on your left," he directed.

Rodney grunted as he pulled the chair open before dropping on to the padded seat. Breathing heavily, he leaned down and felt for the footrest before flipping it down and easing his sore leg up off the floor. With a sigh of relief, he licked his lips and turned his head in Zelenka's direction. "How are we doing on time?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Good, good," he mumbled, using his uninjured foot to push. And with both hands on the wheels, he backed the chair towards where he heard Radek talking, "Tell me when to stop."

"Stop," Radek said in relief. He gripped the handles and leaned forward, taking some of the weight off his sore ribs.

"You sure you're up to this?"

"Yes, yes," Zelenka hissed, grateful Rodney couldn't see the sweat building up across his face from the pain.

Slowly the pair made their way to the doorway and then out into the hallway.

"Which way?" Radek asked standing and staring down the empty corridors.

"You're the seeing eye dog. Just keep us from heading towards any of Carson's henchmen or women."

"Left then."

The pair continued in silence, each enjoying their momentary freedom, even if they knew it was to come with a price. The minute Beckett discovered them gone, all hell would break loose.

SG: A

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Go away," Sheppard mumbled into his pillow, pulling it tighter around his ears to block out the insistent pounding on his door.

"Colonel Sheppard," called the unmistakable voice of one mighty P.O.'ed Scottish physician, "Wake your lazy arse up, son, and open this bloody door!"

That did it! Sitting straight up, he blinked several times to clear away the remaining vestiges of sleep before staggering over to the door and preparing himself to lay into the intruder. When the door slid open and he opened his mouth to let Beckett know how unhappy he was to be awoken in such manner, he instead found himself dragged unceremoniously out into the hallway.

"They're gone!" Carson snarled, glancing up and down the hallways as if someone might appear.

Not quite sure what had the Scot's knickers in a twist; Sheppard glanced back and forth also and then scratched his head. "Who's gone?"

"Those two bloody fools from my infirmary."

The colonel grinned at the thought. Even in pieces, those two could cause a small riot. "McKay and Zelenka?"

"Do you know of another two? Stop smiling, it isn't funny."

Sheppard grinned even larger. Somehow Zelenka must have finally broken through Rodney's wall and got the Canadian moving. Good going, Dr. Z! "Where do you think they went?"

"Well, if I knew that now, why would I be down here dragging your scruffy-haired self out of bed in the middle of the night?"

"You're not really an early morning person, are you, Doc?"

"Shut up and help me find them."

"Mind if I get dressed first?"

Beckett stared at him in contempt before nodding, "Just hurry up."

This time, wisely hiding his smile, Sheppard slipped back in his room and pulled on a pair of pants and his shoes. With his earpiece in place and running a hand over his messy hair, he joined the pacing Scot in the hallway. "Which way?"

Carson just shook his head in disgust and stalked off down the hallway towards the dining hall, leaving Sheppard to trail unwillingly after him.

SG: A

"Stop!"

More than ready to take a breather, Radek complied and leaned against the back of the chair to rest. "What is it, Rodney?"

The blind scientist held up his hand, signaling the Czech to be silent, while tipping his own head to the side to listen. Something wasn't right. Stretching out his hand, he reached out to touch the cool walls of Atlantis. "Where are we?"

Radek glanced about, "Just outside of gateroom. Why? What is wrong?"

Not able to come up with a decent explanation, Rodney shrugged. "It feels wrong. Can you help me make it to the gate?"

Blowing out a steadying breath, Radek nodded and gripped the handles to the chair. Carefully guiding Rodney into the large open room, he glanced about and didn't spot anything out of the ordinary. He did notice the night tech on the upper deck spotting them so he held up his hand, giving a curt wave as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. But it was too late, for he spied the man tapping his earpiece. "I think we have been found out."

"Hmm," McKay grunted, listening intently to the room surrounding him.

When a sharp twinge of pain gripped the Czech's ribs, he let go of the chair and made his way over to the stairwell to sit on the steps. The sound of running feet echoed from the hallway and Radek knew it would only be a matter of minutes before Beckett would find them. Waiting for the inevitable, he watched the Canadian sit quietly with his head tipped to the side before the gate. Rodney was on to something; hopefully they'd get the chance to find out what.

"What the bloody hell do you two think you are doing, sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night like a couple of errant schoolboys?" Carson snapped with fury, instantly descending upon Radek and leaving McKay to Sheppard. When the Czech held up his hand to stop the physician from helping him to his feet, he was confused, "Lad, you shouldn't be out of bed."

"No. Rodney is listening to something," Radek whispered and the Scot spun around to see Sheppard pushing McKay closer to the gate.

"Colonel?" Beckett called, his eyes darting between his two patients and the officer, but he was clearly being ignored.

Sheppard stood beside the chair and waited for Rodney to tell him what was going on.

"There's too much power," Rodney mumbled to himself before spinning his chair around and facing the tech above. "Run a diagnostic," he began to say but stopped when he got an idea. "Has anyone been working on the gate today?"

"Yes, sir," the tech called down. "Dr. Kavanaugh's team was in here earlier."

"Oh, good lord," Rodney groaned under his breath, "What has that imbecile done this time?" Turning his head back to the upper deck, he banged his fist on the armrest. "Is there a team out right now?"

"Yes."

"Have you had any contact from them?"

"No sir, they are overdue by two hours to report in, but Dr. Weir said to give them until 0600 before sending over another team."

Rodney spun his chair back around, before locking the brakes and trying to stand.

Sheppard instantly stepped in front of the scientist, pushing him back down in the chair. "McKay, what the hell are you doing? Where do you think you're going?"

Rodney's jaw stiffened as he attempted to push back. "Don't you feel it?" he snapped. "I need the latest readings. I need to know what Kavanaugh did to the gate. Radek?" he called out blindly towards the staircase.

"Give me moment," the Czech replied, looking hopefully to Beckett for help up to the control area.

Carson looked questioningly to Sheppard. "Colonel?"

"McKay, are you sure about this?"

"Yes! Now move! I think the team is trying to access the gate."

Radek and Carson cleared the top step with the Czech breathing hard, tightly clutching his ribs. Making their way over to the panel, Radek stared at the readouts and began to swear in a language the Scot was unfamiliar with.

"Zelenka, are you going to tell me what I need to know or are you going to continue with the lineage history of every bastard relative you can think of?" Rodney shouted up from the floor below.

"He's back," Radek whispered to Carson before snapping open the nearest laptop, finding what Rodney needed, and then having the Scot relay the information.

TBC


	10. Part 10

Less Than A Minute (Part 10) Updated 09-05-05 from original post.

Sheppard stood grinning like an idiot, listening to the blind scientist irritably prattle off numbers back and forth with Zelenka. McKay's voice snapped with impatience as his hands waved and pointed in the direction of the gate, clearly wanting desperately to get out of the damned chair and work on it himself. When the pressure to take over became too much, he reached up and stripped the bandages from his head, and then his hands, tossing them to the floor, before slipping his injured leg from the foot rest.

"McKay, what do you think you're doing?"

"I need to get to the gate."

The colonel shot a look up to the upper deck and noticed Carson hovering around Zelenka because the smaller man appeared ready to drop. "Okay, but we got to do this fast. Give me your hands." With the scientist firmly gripping his forearms, he pulled Rodney to his feet. "Steady," he encouraged, slipping his arm around the injured man's waist.

Rodney's hand scrabbled up Sheppard's arm and then felt his head. Connecting with the earpiece, he ripped it out of soldier's ear before sticking it in his own. "This is McKay!" he called over the system, "I need Kavanaugh to the gateroom immediately."

"McKay?"

"I need to know what his team did here today."

"Okay, well, all you had to do was ask."

"I don't have time for formalities, Colonel." Gritting his teeth, he hopped on his good leg in the direction he sensed he needed to go, "Now get me over to the panel on the lower left side."

"The one at the bottom?"

"Yes." Moved into position by Sheppard, Rodney carefully sank to the floor. His hands traced over the cover before snapping it off and setting it to the side, only to have it bang back on the floor when there was nothing behind it for support. "What do you see?"

"Tiles."

"I know that! Are they all lit?"

The scruffy haired colonel leaned forward, over Rodney's shoulder, for a closer examination. "No. It looks like four are dead."

"Colonel Sheppard, would you care to explain to me what in the world is going on in here?" Elizabeth demanded as she entered the gateroom from the adjoining hallway, and only stopped when Beckett appeared at the upper railing.

"Rodney," he called from above, "Radek said to tell you that the gate interface with the power core is offline."

"Damn it," the scientist hissed, running his hand over the tiles and then tugging one loose. Holding up to Sheppard, he demanded, "What do you see?"

"It's sort of cloudy and it was one of the ones not lit. How did you know that?"

McKay just 'harrumphed' impatiently and ignored his question.

"Colonel?" Elizabeth tried again for an answer.

"Rodney and Radek discovered a problem with the gate. They're fixing it." Taking the second tile thrust at him, he held it up to the light, "Cloudy."

About that time, Kavanaugh came running in from the corridor, only to come to a complete stop when he saw the blind scientist removing tiles from the panel. Noticing the absence of bandages, he scowled, "You can see."

"No, I can't."

"Then what the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Fixing your latest fubar!" Handing a third tile back towards the colonel, Rodney shifted his aching leg out off to the side, hoping for a miniscule ounce of relief. Biting back a groan when the sore muscles cramped instead, he clenched his eyes tight while riding out the pain.

"Rodney, you okay?" Sheppard asked worriedly.

McKay shook his head 'no'. "Tile?" he grunted, trying to take his mind off his leg.

Holding it up, Sheppard squinted and turned it over in the light. "It looks clear."

"Was it lit?"

"No."

Kavanagh snagged the first two tiles from Sheppard and held them up to the light before frowning. "These were replaced after the new Zed PM was installed. My team went over them again today."

"Well, apparently someone replaced the damaged ones back in the network."

The pony-tailed scientist licked his lips before thrusting the tiles back at Sheppard. "I'll get the correct ones." He quickly disappeared back down the hallway without saying another word.

"Are there any more unlit units?" Rodney asked to whomever might answer.

Sheppard hunkered down closer to study the inside of the panel. "Give me your hand," he commanded and then placed it on another dim tile.

Rodney frowned while holding it with one hand and running his other slowly over the remaining pieces. His brow tight in concentration, he systematically traced towards the bottom of the panel before removing a lit tile and slipping it in the spot of one of the dark pieces removed earlier. The dark tile still held in place by his other hand suddenly lit back up.

"How?" Elizabeth asked in amazement, glancing from Rodney to Sheppard.

The scientist continued to ignore her and the soldier merely shrugged before pulling the last dark tile and checking to see if it was clear or not. "Looks fine," he said, placing it in Rodney's hand and then guiding it back to the panel. He didn't miss the fine sheen of sweat that had broken out across the blind man's face or the way that his hands began to tremble. "Almost done," Sheppard encouraged quietly.

Rodney only nodded, blowing out a small breath before running his hand over his unseeing eyes. Licking his dry lips, he swallowed and then reached back to the panel, shifting two more tiles on the bottom and slipping the one he'd just been handed into an empty spot. It began to glow.

"Alright, Answer Man!" Sheppard clapped Rodney on the back but instantly regretted it when the man flinched. "I'm gonna remember this next time we're offworld and you start to complain about working in the dark."

Tipping his head sideways, Rodney looked towards Sheppard, his sightless eyes revealing nothing. "I think," he started to say, and then stopped.

Sheppard studied his friend closely, noting the color suddenly fade from McKay's face. "Rodney, you okay?" Next thing he knew, he was catching the scientist as he slumped sideways towards the floor. "Beckett!" he yelled over his shoulder.

The physician's head instantly appeared over the railing to see why he was being called, and spying the scientist in the soldier's arms, he charged down the steps. Dropping to his knees beside the men, he glanced back to Elizabeth, "Would you mind keeping an eye on Radek for me, lass? I believe he's heading in the same direction as Rodney."

She nodded and took the stairs two at a time to the top to assist the other scientist. She found him resting with his elbows on the control panel, leaning forward over the laptop in an attempt to relieve the discomfort in his chest. "How can I help?"

Radek swallowed and looked up to meet her gaze. "We need remaining tiles to get gate back online."

"Dr. Kavanaugh went to get them."

He blinked.

"Shouldn't you be sitting down?"

"Little longer. Once he gets here and I get gate back up and running, then I rest."

Worried that he wouldn't hold out a little longer, Elizabeth cleared her throat to get the attention of the night tech and then pointed towards her office. "Would you please bring a chair from my office?"

Radek sank gratefully onto the seat once it was brought out and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "How is Rodney?"

Resting her hand lightly on his shoulder and feeling the fine tremors shaking beneath her grip, she gave a comforting squeeze, "Carson and John are with him. How are you doing?"

"I would like to go back to infirmary," he answered quietly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a second as she continued to stand behind him. "Let me find Dr. Kavanaugh." Tapping her earpiece, she began to page the missing scientist only to see him and several of his team member's running back into the gateroom.

While two went to work installing new tiles, Kavanaugh and another tech raced up the stairs and carefully stepped around Zelenka's hunched form. "I've got it from here, Doctor," Kavanaugh assured them both without his usual arrogance.

"Elizabeth." Radek motioned with one hand for her without looking up.

She dropped to her knees beside him and looked up into his haggard face. "Radek, it's all under control. Just rest until a med team gets here to take you back to the infirmary.

He shook his head slightly, his gaze still fixed on the floor in front of his feet. "Check on Rodney."

"I told you, he's fine."

His weary blue eyes looked up, shooting her a worried glance, "Please. It was me who got him to leave infirmary."

She smiled warmly at him, "I never would have guessed." Another comforting squeeze to his shoulder and she made her way to the stairwell, "I don't want you moving from that spot, Dr. Zelenka. Do I make myself clear?"

He allowed a small smile of his own to show before he nodded, watching her disappear from view as she went to check on Rodney.

SG: A

Carson had the colonel carefully lower Rodney back onto the floor before doing a quick exam. He wasn't surprised when the scientist collapsed, it was too soon for him to be up, let alone working on a project. "Bloody fool," he mumbled while holding Rodney's wrist.

"How is he?" Sheppard finally dared to ask once Carson set McKay's arm back down.

"Exhausted, in a fair amount of pain, and his body hasn't recuperated from initial accident. I'm surprised he actually made it this far." Shooting a glance towards the upper deck, he shook his head in disgust, "I'm surprised either of them is up." Tapping his earpiece, he paged the infirmary, requesting two gurneys be rushed to the gateroom.

"But they're gonna be okay, right?"

"Aye, but they need to rest. No matter what might be wrong with Atlantis, I can't have them running around trying to fix it in their current conditions."

The sound of quickly approaching individuals emanated from the hallway and soon Kavanaugh and his team appeared, taking over the gate operations. With nothing more to do but get in the way, Sheppard and Beckett slid Rodney out of the way towards the side of the platfrom and watched. Moments later, Elizabeth joined them.

"How is he?" she asked.

"He'll be fine," Carson repeated, "He just needs to rest. How was Radek?"

She looked up from Rodney to meet the physician's concerned gaze. "I've got him sitting in a chair before he fell over. I don't think he's going to last much longer. "

Carson nodded and looked worriedly up to where his other patient was situated.

More people scurried into the room; some pushing gurneys, others ready to assist those on the opposite side of the gate. Events began to move quickly and the room filled with more noise as individuals issued orders and teams went to work.

While Carson and several medical staff members readied Rodney and Radek for transport, a shout of excitement went up from the science team when the gate lit up and then the telltale 'whoosh' exploded out into the room before receding back into the ring.

SG: A

It had been five days since the explosion in the jumper bay, two since the little escapade to the gateroom, and neither Rodney nor Radek showed any signs of complete awareness since their return to the infirmary. There had been groggy moments when one or the other attempted to answer questions or eat, but exhaustion had a firm grip on their weary bodies and all they did successfully was sleep. After Rodney had ripped off the eye bandages for a fourth time, disoriented and complaining of feeling trapped and confined, Beckett had given him a pair of tinted glasses to cover his eyes.

Awareness came slowly to the scientist as he lay resting in the drug induced haze that Carson had provided. With little strength available, and in all honestly, no desire to move, he found it easier to listen to the events and movements going on around him. The squeak of a chair, footsteps across the floor, and the swish of garments became comforts, filling his dark void. He sighed quietly to himself. He'd done that a lot recently.

Chewing on his lower lip, he tried to remember what had happened at the gateroom. Something had gone wrong. Sheppard was there, wasn't he? The tiles…it had something to do with the power relay. His eyes raced behind his closed lids, searching for an answer that his blinded eyes so desperately wanted to see. Without thinking, he blinked, and he saw something he thought for sure he'd never see again…light.

It was blurry and dark, shapes held little definition, and surrounding movements were more like watching shadows dance in the candlelight. But it was light! He could see!

Not wanting to be wrong, he laid still, his head pressed back into his pillow as the shapes shifted about him. He could hear voices; identify them without even thinking, and relished in the comforting murmur of his friends. But more than the sound, it was actually seeing the blurry images ghost around the foot of his bed that allowed him to relax. To let sleep claim him this time in peace, for when he awoke, there would be hope.

SG: A

Seated around one of the small bedside tables, soft laughter and chatter filled the room as Elizabeth and Sheppard attempted to teach Teyla and Ronon the fine art of playing Gin Rummy. Carson stood behind Teyla helping her to arrange her cards and suggesting what to play next.

When Elizabeth smacked her hand of cards down on the table and triumphantly declared 'Gin' for the third time in a row, Ronon tossed his cards and scowled at Sheppard.

"I like your game Poker, better."

Sheppard shrugged. "Sometimes that's more fun to play with just the guys."

"Not always, Colonel," Weir said with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "There are times when playing with the opposite sex can be rather entertaining."

All eyes turned to stare at her.

"What?" She said it with a teasing smile. "I went to college."

Sheppard and Beckett's jaws dropped as they stared at her in disbelief. Ronon and Teyla weren't quite sure what they were apparently missing.

"Are you telling me you played Strip Poker in college?" Sheppard dared to ask.

She shrugged and gathered the scattered deck of cards, expertly shuffling them using several different methods, before placing them back on the tray.

"What is Strip Poker?" Teyla and Ronon asked simultaneously.

Before anyone got the chance to answer, a clumsily tossed pillow hit the edge or the small table, scattering the deck of cards to the floor.

"Can't you people take your frat chat somewhere else? I'm trying to sleep here."

"I agree. Worse than old lady tea party."

Instantly the others surrounded Rodney and Radek's bedsides.

"Hey, how you feelin'?" Sheppard asked, giving Rodney's arm a tight squeeze.

"Better, until you bruised my arm," the scientist snarked quietly, rubbing the spot with false indignation.

"You want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Oh, get away from me!" Rodney reached out and smacked Sheppard on the arm.

"Hey, good shot." Sheppard snapped back and the others grew quiet, all eyes now on McKay.

"What?" Rodney asked.

"You just hit me."

"Not the first time, and most likely not the last," he huffed.

"Where's your pillow?"

The scientists head lolled to the side as he squinted towards the floor. "By your foot. Give it to me."

Beckett stepped in between the two before they had the chance to get out of control. Presenting three fingers, he waved them in front of Rodney's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Rodney squinted again, watching the hand pass in front of his face. "Well if you'd hold those fuzzy sausages still long enough, I might be able to tell you." When the Scot complied, he stared at the hand and then back to Beckett, disbelief and then joy spreading across his face. It hadn't been a dream. "Three?"

Large smiles broke out all around as the physician removed Rodney's protective glasses. Flashing his penlight into the cranky man's eyes; he was relieved to see both pupils react to the light. "How well can you see? Is there any blurriness?"

"Other than the fact that you and that damned light of yours are trying to blind me again, everything looks…fuzzy, but it's getting better."

Radek carefully leaned sideways from his bed and held out his spare pair of glasses to his colleague. "Here, try these."

Not missing a beat, McKay squinted and glared at the offer, "Oh, thank you, but I think I'll pass." A thought washed over his face and he suddenly grew quiet. "You okay?"

Radek smiled and nodded. "You?"

"I'm good," he answered with a nod. He glanced down at his bandaged leg, closed his eyes for a moment and listened with satisfaction to the hum of Atlantis, and then looked back to see his friends watching him and he smiled. "I'm good."

**The End**

A/N: Mega thanks to Gaffer/Mary for all of your wonderful beta/grammar help. (When the boss tells you she likes it, you know it must not be too bad!)

Mega thanks to Emergencyfan/Erika for keeping me sane and entertained, as well as tossing in some great beta ideas. (world…ME….world) LOL!

And thank you to all who have sent notes and reviews. I admit it, I like reading them… a lot! Okay, a whole lot! This was a blast, really!

Take care, Jen :)


End file.
